PRESS RELEASE:

  Suit to Restore Louisiana Black Bear Federal Protections

Iconic “Teddy’s Bear” in Continued Jeopardy; Small Remnants Far from Recovery

Washington, DC —  Survival of the Louisiana black bear requires that it regain protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, according to a lawsuit filed today by a coalition of conservation groups led by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) with co-counsel Atchafalaya Basinkeeper.  The lawsuit cites mounting threats to the remaining small populations for which existing safeguards are inadequate.

The Louisiana black bear is one of 16 subspecies of the American black bear. It is often referred to as "Teddy's Bear," because President Theodore Roosevelt once famously refused to shoot one that had been tied to a tree, saying it would not be sporting. Today, the Louisiana black bear has lost 99% of its historic population and more than 97% of its historic range.

The bear was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act back in 1992, but the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) declared it recovered in 2016 and removed its designation of critical habitat made only six years prior.  The suit contends this decision was based on false assumptions and shoddy science, such as relying upon recovery corridors that do not connect true native populations. The suit also argues the recovery plan relied on by FWS in its delisting decision puts the bear in greater jeopardy, by ignoring:

·      Steadily increasing loss of bottomland forest and other critical habitat due to climate change;

·      Uncontrolled and rising human-caused mortality, from vehicular collisions, poaching and other causes; and

·      The severe threat of hybridization with a non-native bear population introduced for sport-hunting.

“The Louisiana black bear is a victim of biological malpractice,” stated PEER Senior Counsel Paula Dinerstein, who filed the complaint today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of co-plaintiffs Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, Sierra Club and its Delta Chapter, the Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association-West, as well as the three authorities who initiated the original 1992 listing. “Delisting the Louisiana black bear was a premature claim of ‘Mission Accomplished.’”

“Not only is the Louisiana black bear an iconic figure in Louisiana culture, but the bear plays an important role in the diverse ecosystems across Louisiana, including the Atchafalaya Basin. The delisting decision puts remaining populations and the habitat they depend on in greater peril,” stated Misha Mitchell, co-counsel and staff attorney for Atchafalaya Basinkeeper

The complaint also argues that the population size of Louisiana black bears was overestimated.  But, even if the population levels relied upon in the delisting are taken at face value, the population densities are well below normal for a sustainable black bear population. 

 “Unlike the one granted a Presidential reprieve, today’s Louisiana black bear is in imminent peril,” added Dinerstein.  “We fear that as a distinct subspecies, it will not survive its so-called recovery.”

 Read the complaint

https://www.peer.org/assets/docs/la/6_28_18_Louisiana_Black_Bear_Complaint.pdf 

See more background on Teddy’s Bear

https://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/legal-move-to-save-the-louisiana-black-bear.html

TAKE ACTION!

• Sign a Petition asking USFWS to restore ESA protections for the LA black bear,

• Send an Email to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries demanding that the current ban on hunting the LA black bear remain in place, and

• Support our litigation efforts to protect this vital species.  All gifts of $75 or more will receive an adorable 12" plush LA black bear (makes a great holiday gift!).

Litigation Documents:

Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, filed June 28, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Motion for Summary Judgment and supporting documents, filed April 5, 2019, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

News Coverage:

After Louisiana black bear delisted as threatened species, bear lawsuit heats up, by Steve Hardy, The Advocate, October 21, 2018

Letter to the Editor: Keep Ban on Hunting LA Black Bear, by Julie Rosenzweig, Sierra Club Delta Chapter Director, August, 2018 (published in the TuscaloosaNews.com, The Daily Iberian, HoumaToday.com)

Suit: Louisiana black bear needs renewsed federal protection, KATC.com, July 9, 2018

Nonprofit groups sue U.S. Fish and Wildlife to restore Louisiana black bear to endangered species list, by Ellen Couvillion, The Advocate, July 7, 2018

Lawsuit: Return 'Teddy Bear' to endangered list, by Greg Hilburn, Monroe New Star, July 5, 2018

Environmental groups sue Interior to reinstate black bear protections, by Miranda Green, The Hill, June 28, 2018.

Groups file lawsuit to once again place Louisiana black bear on US Endangered Species list, by WAFB Staff, WAFB.com, June 28, 2018.

Environmental groups file lawsuit to protect La. black bear, by Raquel Derganz Baker, WBRZ.com, June 28, 2018.

Louisiana testing water for controlled black bear hunts; survey suggests public support for it, by Steve Hardy, The Advocate, May 3, 2018

Lawsuits aren't cheap - please support our chapter's efforts in this litigation by participating in our LA Black Bear Fundraiser.