11/19/09

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) _ A judge says the government must keep
Yellowstone-area grizzly bears on the list of threatened and
endangered species, denying an attempt by federal officials to
reverse an earlier court ruling.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service two years ago said grizzlies
in and around Yellowstone National Park had recovered from
near-extermination and no longer needed protections under the
Endangered Species Act.

But in September, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said climate
change and lax regulations threatened to undermine the bears'
recovery. After Molloy ordered the animals back onto the threatened
list, government attorneys asked that he reconsider, saying the
bear would thrive without sweeping federal protections.

In an order Tuesday, Molloy rejected the government's argument
and confirmed his earlier ruling.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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