MISSOULA – Conservation groups are asking a federal judge for more time to argue a case over whether grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem should be no longer protected as a threatened species.
Judge Dana Christensen had already agreed to grant a delay to consider the case, where environmental groups and tribes are fighting efforts to turn management over to the states, opening the door for limited grizzly hunts.
Earthjustice attorneys asked Christensen on Wednesday for additional time with the temporary restraining order set to expire Thursday afternoon.
They say defendants in the case, including the states, haven’t responded. Christensen hasn’t ruled on the request.
