An icon under attack

Since the 1970s, the iconic American grizzly bear—a national symbol of wildness and the untamed West—has been shielded from extinction by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The protections offered under the ESA have been the lifeline grizzlies needed to slowly recover from the brink. But now, just as they’re finally starting to return to healthy numbers, short-sighted politicians are pushing to strip away those protections too soon. If they succeed, decades of hard-won progress could vanish, taking an American icon with it.

Defend them
A slow recovery
100% Population 100% Distribution 1880 POPULATION 1960 POPULATION CURRENT POPULATION
YEAR 1800 | 59,300 GRIZZLIES

Grizzly bears are slow to reproduce. That means their populations can decline rapidly. Fifty years ago, grizzlies were pushed towards extinction. It has taken decades of protection under the Endangered Species Act to bring them back. Thanks to the ESA, grizzlies have had the time and space they need, with new wildlife corridors and connected habitats helping them slowly recover.

Safeguard the ESA

Bald Eagle
Gray Wolf
California Condor
Piping Plover (MA)
Green Sea Turtle
Southern Sea Otter
Peregrine Falcon
Florida Panther
Humpback Whale
Species who have improved under ESA protection

The ESA is one of America’s most successful conservation tools, saving 99% of listed species from extinction, including the grizzly bear. It’s the reason these bears still have a fighting chance. But the fight isn’t over. Grizzlies today roam just a small fraction of their historical range. Strip away ESA protections, and we risk sending them back toward extinction.

Help defend grizzlies

Whether you live in grizzly country or a thousand miles away, your voice matters. Congress is deciding the future of grizzlies right now. And they need to hear from you. Download our toolkit for everything you need to speak up: form letters, social graphics, videos, and more.

This isn’t the moment to run.
It’s time to be big and stand up.

We are a network of nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and grassroots leaders working to ensure that the work of defending the great American grizzly bear is supported across the nation, from the Western Rockies to the shores of New Jersey.