The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced what they say is a new, more comprehensive management approach for the Lower 48 states.

After a months-long delay, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that grizzly bears will retain protections under the Endangered Species Act, despite efforts by several western states to remove them.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday reaffirmed the protected status of grizzly bears on the Endangered Species List, rejecting petitions from Montana and Wyoming officials to delist the species in specific recovery zones.