Delisting

State wildlife managers could develop hunting seasons should the state be successful in its effort.

U.S. Justice Department officials did not immediately respond to a phone message and email for comment.

Some of the groups say the decision to lift grizzly bear protections this summer is flawed because it only involves Yellowstone rather than the West as a whole.

Fish and Wildlife first issued a proposal to delist Yellowstone-area grizzlies in spring 2016.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Regional Director Michael Thabault said it could take the agency another six months to finish reviewing 650,000 public comments

Conservation groups are fighting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's plans to remove Yellowstone grizzly bears from the endangered species list.