"BILLINGS, Mont. — Federal officials will review whether enough is being done to protect grizzly bears in the contiguous U.S. states after environmentalists sued the government to try to restore the fearsome animals to more areas, according to a court settlement approved Monday.

The review must be completed by March 31, 2021, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen ordered.

Grizzly bears have been protected as a threatened species in the U.S. — except in Alaska — since 1975, allowing a slow recovery in a handful of areas. An estimated 1,900 of the animals live in portions of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington state."

Matthew Brown reports for the Associated Press December 9, 2019. [2]