Idaho AG Pushes the Feds to Let the Gem State Manage Its Own Grizzlies

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador is telling Washington it is high time to let the Gem State manage its own grizzly bears, according to a press release.

The Big Picture

• The Core Demand: Labrador is pushing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to kick grizzly bears off the Endangered Species list entirely and hand the management reins back to Idaho.
• The “Lawyer Loophole” Critique: He argues that current federal rules give activist lawyers an open lane to run state wildlife policies out of courtrooms at taxpayer expense, while infringing on constitutional protections against federal overreach.
• Why Idaho Thinks It Won: The state points to 50 years of hard local conservation work, arguing that grizzly populations have rebounded enough that federal micromanagement is no longer justified by science.

A Step in the Right Direction While Idaho wants full delisting by the upcoming December 2026 deadline, Labrador views the Trump Administration’s revised proposal as a welcome, meaningful step in the right direction. By aiming to cut red tape and grant states greater flexibility to protect rural communities, hunters, and trappers, the federal stance is finally shifting toward common sense—even if Idaho believes the rules need a bit more fine-tuning before crossing the finish line.