The last Louisiana black bear hunt in the state was in 1988. On the brink of extinction in 1992, the Louisiana black bear was added to the threatened and endangered species list. The recovery plan for the Louisiana black bear was developed in 1995. Debbie Fuller, coordinator of Louisiana black bear recovery activities with the U.S. The iconic bear is purported to have been the inspiration for the “teddy bear” because President Teddy Roosevelt spared one during a 1902 hunting trip. The species became a symbol of the nation's fledgling conservation efforts in 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that was trapped and tied to a tree by members of his hunting party. On May 20, 2015 we proposed to delist the Louisiana black bear due to successful recovery. Benny Cenac has had a love of Louisiana wildlife since his youth. The Louisiana black bear has improved in status due to the active partnerships of many private landowners, state and Federal agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations. The Louisiana black bear is recovered. The Service proposed to delist the Louisiana black bear in May 2015 after determining the recovery criteria, as defined in the 1995 Louisiana Black Bear Recovery Plan, had been met and that threats to the bear were reduced or eliminated. At the time of listing, more than 80 percent of suitable Louisiana black bear habitat was lost. Habitat restoration is front-and-center in Louisiana, especially when it comes to wetlands. In addition to the proposal to delist the Louisiana black bear, the Service is soliciting comments on a draft post-delisting monitoring plan. The recovery process of the Louisiana black bear has many moving parts. Due to 24 years of dedicated recovery efforts by a broad array of partners, the Louisiana black bear will be removed from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Submitted in partial fulfillment . This research has detailed various aspects of bear activity, movements and habitat use. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Louisiana Black Bear Conservation Committee. Using this database, a Black Bear Restoration Plan and a Black Bear Recovery Plan were developed in cooperation with the U.S. The Louisiana Black Bear was once a common inhabitant of forested regions of eastern Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. In 1992, at the time of the listing, there were as few as 150 bears in Louisiana habitat. Learn more about Louisiana black bear recovery; Download the Recovery Plan Due to 24 years of dedicated recovery efforts by a broad array of partners, the Louisiana black bear will be removed from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. But it is also vital to the recovery of the black bear. A Thesis . Matthew G. Ritter . “The recovery of the Louisiana black bear and hundreds of other species shows that the Endangered Species Act does work,” said Lopez. Perhaps none is as important as restoring the condition of the habitat in which they reside, Davidson said. … WASHINGTON (CN) – The Louisiana black bear has met its recovery plan objectives and is proposed for delisting under the Endangered Species Act, the Department of Interior announced. Evaluation of Priorities and Costs in Species Recovery Plans: Sonoran Pronghorn (Antilocarpa americana sonorensis), Louisiana Black Bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) and Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis sierra) by .