U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Delists Louisiana Black Bear

by
posted on March 17, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ahwire_ah2015_fs.jpg

After 24 years of dedicated recovery efforts, the black bear is back in the bayou. Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced that it would be removing the Louisiana black bear from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

A proposal to delist the black bear was submitted last May, and spent most of the ensuing year in review. The decision to delist the species was published in the Federal Register on March 11, 2016. The announcement marks the end of the Louisiana black bear's 24-year run on the list. It is a subspecies of black bear unique to Louisiana, western Mississippi and eastern Texas.

Efforts to restore the bear's population required the assistance of many of the region's farmers and landowners. The majority of the Louisiana black bear's habitat falls on private lands, where the U.S. Department of Agriculture worked with farmers to restore more than 485,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forests. When the bear was listed in 1992, as few as 150 were estimated to be in Louisiana. Today, up to 750 bears are believed to live across the species' current range.

The Louisiana black bear has its own place in history, of course, because of President Theodore Roosevelt. It was the species of bear that he famously spared in 1902, which led to a political cartoon that would inspire the birth of the teddy bear.

For more information, go to FWS.gov.

Latest

Gear Lede Image
Gear Lede Image

Junior Hunter Gear: Get Your Kids Into the Field

Looking for ways to get your fields out from behind the screens and into the great outdoors this summer? Check out these great pieces of outdoor kit to help spur the process.

Stealth Cam Adds On-Demand Livestream

Shortly after teasing the launch of its new trail camera functionality at the 2025 SHOT Show, Stealth Cam has announced that On Demand Live Stream is available via the Command Pro app.

#SundayGunday: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 A.I.

On this week's #SundayGunday, Digital Associate Editor David Herman talks with Benelli Vice President Tim Joseph about Benelli's new Super Black Eagle 3 with A.I. barrel technology.

NRA Foundation Awards $13,500 in College Scholarships

The National Rifle Association is proud to announce the Grand Scholarship winners from the 2024 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.)—a group of exceptional students selected for their leadership, initiative, and dedication to advancing NRA programs within their communities.

Recipe: Bacon-Rolled Elk Burgers

Brad Fenson whips up his classic Bacon Rolled Elk Burgers in this week's recipe.

First Look: Chiappa Firearms Rhino Revolver

Chiappa Firearms is expanding its Rhino series by introducing two new revolvers chambered in the powerful, versatile 10mm Auto.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.