U.S. wildlife officials will review whether more protections are needed for grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states after animal advocates sued the government in a bid to restore the animals to more areas.
The review must be completed by March 31, 2021, under a settlement approved Monday by a federal judge.
The Center for Biological Diversity said in a June lawsuit that officials should consider restoring grizzlies to areas of California, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Oregon.
Grizzly bears are protected as a threatened species outside Alaska. An estimated 1,900 bears live in portions of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington state.
