JACKSON - People looking to hunt grizzly bears in Wyoming got a round-about boost from U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas this week, as he urged Interior Secretary Gale Norton to move forward with a petition to remove the grizzly from Endangered Species Act protection.

With delisting, which has languished in recent months in part because of a Washington slow-down due to the Gulf Coast hurricanes, hunters in the greater Yellowstone area would have a limited season on the grizzly to keep numbers in check.

"Interior has been sitting on this proposal, and Wyoming deserves to know about the timing," Thomas, R-Wyo., said in a news release after his Monday conversation with Norton. "The bear is a good example of what's wrong with the Endangered Species Act. If it's recovered, then let's get a deadline set to sign the delisting rule. I told her that I understood that the Fish and Wildlife Service had put forth a very good plan, but that it seems to be stuck in the pipe."

Thomas has been a champion of Endangered Species Act reform, saying it's easy to get a species listed but too difficult to get one removed from the list. A bill passed by the U.S. House, sponsored by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., would overhaul the law. No timeline has been set for the Senate to take up the bill.

Thomas said the House bill's passage was "very positive."

"There is clearly a lot of momentum to change and update the ESA," he said. "The law isn't working and needs to be changed."

Thomas supports the idea of compensating landowners if the law affects their property and sees the end of a "critical habitat" provision where development is limited as positive.

Thomas said Norton indicated Monday there are still "concerns" in the Interior Department with the grizzly bear delisting petition. Norton did not detail those concerns.

But speculation indicates Interior could be concerned with state grizzly management plans, U.S. Forest Service plans or possible litigation.

John Emmerich, assistant chief of the wildlife division for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said litigation is probably going to happen anyway, but he didn't know what Interior's "concerns" were.

He said he understood the delisting petition to be sitting with Norton, after being approved by others in the federal department.

"We don't know the concerns or the timeline," Emmerich said. He said Game and Fish has done "everything we've been asked to do," and local U.S. Fish and Wildlife officers have done everything they can do.

"Everything is in place," Emmerich said.

Game and Fish officials have said if no delisting petition is put forward by February, the state agency will reconsider its options in bear management.

Emmerich said he didn't want to speculate on what the department would do, but said options included "wait and see" or "just get out of the management and the cost." Game and Fish commissioners have said they will consider "all options," Emmerich said.

Emmerich is scheduled to make a presentation to the Legislature's Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee in Yellowstone National Park today.

Environmental reporter Whitney Royster can be reached at (307) 734-0260 or at royster@trib.com.