Environmental groups prevail on limit to grizzly bear deaths in Wyoming cattle grazing area

By MEAD GRUVER
Associated Press

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Environmental groups have prevailed on appeal in a lawsuit seeking to limit killing of grizzly bears in a mountainous area of Wyoming. A federal appeals court in Denver ruled Thursday that the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must consider limiting how many female grizzly bears may be killed to protect livestock under a plan to allow continued cattle grazing in the Wind River Range. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson Joe Szuszwalak declined to comment on the ruling. Andrea Zaccardi with the Center for Biological Diversity says the ruling shows federal officials can’t sidestep the law to appease the livestock industry.