On February 14, 2025, approximately 370 employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including critical biologists and natural resource professionals, were terminated in a move described by critics as an attack on science-based conservation. This policy, which involves hiring new staff only by eliminating several existing positions, has raised concerns about undermining effective wildlife management and conservation across the National Wildlife Refuge System.

In a recent decision made in January 2025, the US Fish and Wildlife Service responded to a petition by choosing to keep grizzly bears on the Endangered Species List. This decision reinforces science-based wildlife conservation and protects the species from politically motivated delisting efforts.

On January 11, 2025, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman reintroduced the Grizzly Bear State Management Act, which seeks to delist the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly from the endangered species list. The legislation criticizes the US Fish and Wildlife Service for being unduly influenced by wildlife lobbyists and for ignoring recovery data, suggesting that political pressures and special interests are compromising objective wildlife management.

A GAO review revealed significant gaps in human rights monitoring protocols across US government agencies, including the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The report criticizes delayed safeguard measures and inadequate follow-up on abuse allegations in conservation grants overseas, raising concerns about the agency’s commitment to protecting vulnerable communities.

An OpenSecrets profile indicates that in 2023, 91 clients lobbied the US Fish & Wildlife Service. This influx of lobbying efforts raises concerns that the agency, charged with protecting wildlife and managing public lands, may be vulnerable to external pressures from corporate and political interests that can undermine its regulatory independence.