Nearly 40 years ago, grizzly bears were first listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. At the time, the act was just two years old.

A lot has changed since the early 1970s.

The grizzly population was struggling then, with as few as 200 of the iconic predators remaining in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, according to some estimates.

Today, as many as 1,000 grizzly bears roam the region. That estimate is based on a new counting technique. With an estimated 60 new cubs, researchers believe it’s a record year.

The healthy population — and frequency of bear encounters at lower elevations — has led many to believe it’s time to remove federal protections for the bears.

A delisting decision could happen this year, said Frank van Manen, team leader for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. He said the population is regulating itself and that grizzlies are reaching the edge of suitable habitat, particularly in the northwest corner of Wyoming.

When grizzly bears end up in Heart Mountain barns and populated communities, it’s clear the bears are running out of suitable habitat.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department often relocates problem bears, moving them between Jackson and Cody areas. Management options are limited while the bears remain on the endangered species list. Delisting would allow for more effective management in the state.

Eventually, that would mean hunting, but recovery goals always would remain for grizzlies.

“Right now, we’re really focused on showing a recovered population and getting bears delisted. We hope to focus more on the hunting aspect as things progress for the future,” said Dan Thompson, Game and Fish statewide supervisor of the large carnivore management section in Lander.

It’s time for grizzlies to be managed by the state, just like other species in Wyoming.

However, even if delisting occurs in the near future, we’ve come to expect that the decision could easily be overturned in a courtroom hundreds of miles away from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

The endangered species list has been marred by politics instead of centered on science.

Just look at the grizzly’s more controversial counterpart, the gray wolf.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other biologists have noted successful gray wolf recovery efforts in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. But once again, wolves are on the endangered species list in Wyoming, despite the fact that wolf populations are thriving.

Wyoming residents have lost trust in the Endangered Species Act, and rightfully so.

The act exists to protect animals, but has lost its credibility by including species that are no longer threatened.

Environmentalists have severely damaged their cause by incessant fighting in court for animals that have successfully recovered.

What happens when an animal population is actually threatened and in need of federal protection? Unfortunately, many in Wyoming will be skeptical and slow to support future listing decisions, even when there’s a legitimate need.

After all, you only can cry wolf so many times.