While the Trump administration has blocked the National Park Service from working on a recovery plan for grizzly bears in the North Cascades Ecosystem and is moving to remove grizzlies in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem from Endangered Species Act protection, the provincial government in British Columbia has banned grizzly bear hunting.

Following the removal of federal protections, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are now readying for their first grizzly bear trophy hunts since the animals were first listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1975.

“We’re ecstatic British Columbia has banned cruel trophy hunts for these magnificent animals,” said Andrea Santarsiere, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. “This wise decision highlights the cruel absurdity of the Trump administration’s decision to strip protections from imperiled Yellowstone grizzlies. We’ll keep fighting to prevent the horrific and wasteful practice of hunting grizzly bears in the U.S.”

The Center and allies are challenging removal of endangered species protections in court in an effort to stop these hunts and obtain broader recovery for grizzly bears.

Interior Department staff have not replied to an email asking why the Park Service was told to stop work on the North Cascades recovery program.