Alyssa P.
Brooklyn, NY

I could launch into my personal feelings about grizzlies and my wants to protect them but I believe the larger picture is what is at stake. Every animal has its place in maintaining balance and order in nature. And, every animal has a right to live in that place. We all want a safe home and stability …

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Mark W.
Pittsburgh, PA

I have seen grizzlies in the wild and they are the epitome of force, strength and speed. I can't imagine the Earth without them. Even though for the most part they are herbivores I believe they do help keep nature in balance and contribute to our environment overall. They are a natural part of our world and our world was meant for them long before it was meant for us. They are an intricate part of the cycle of life and without them the cycle is incomplete.

Zara P.
Missouri

I would like to see the grizzly bears survive because when my grandparents went to Yellowstone and Alaska, they saw several grizzly bears. I was unable to go with them, and I would like for the grizzly bears to survive for myself and future generations to see as well. They are a valuable part of the environment that it would be very sad to see go extinct. Also, I do not like to see any species go extinct when it could have remained alive through people's hard work and support.

Wendy M.
Shelton, WA

The world is getting very small. The exponential growth of the human population threatens all other life on the planet if not managed with foresight and careful planning. We can see it in all of our communities no matter how small: growth is inevitable. SO ... what do we want our future to look like? Shall all animals be found only in zoos so that we forget what "wild" is? Or shall we …

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Tom H.
Concord, NH

It's about wildness. WE MUST PRESERVE WILDNESS, period. I have been in a very black tunnel that was long and curved through a mountain on the railroad track from Fairbanks to Alaska. In that tunnel with no vision at all, not even a glint of the shiny single track rail line …

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Noel A.
Seattle, WA

I have had two dramatic encounters with these magnificent bears and have been in awe of them ever since. I think of them the same way I think about the mountains and most wildernesses: I may not be able to visit, hike or camp in or near each and every one but …

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Amanda H.
Sterling Heights, MI

Although I have never seen a live grizzly bear with my own eyes, watching a few Animal Planet special features alone has allowed me to truly awe these creatures' majestic nature. They are truly amazing beings; please do all that you can to save their habitat and ensure their health. I am 16 years old and I can only hope that, one day, I will be able to show my children the beauty of this animal, not in a museum, on the television, or in a zoo, but thriving, alive in its natural home.

Dottie C.
Jacksonville, NC

All wild animals have the right to live in their natural habitat. This administration should not have removed the grizzly bear from the endangered species list. If we remove these magnificent creatures from protective status, they will be hunted down and eliminated …

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Reynolds T.
Dalton, MA

Grizzly bears are an indigenous species of wildlife in the Yellowstone ecosystem and they deserve to be protected as such. They are an essential participant in an ecosystem that has withstood many assaults over time and deserve to remain protected. There are many things in our natural environment that we have destroyed through misguided assumptions about priorities that benefit material gains …

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Charlotte M.
Plymouth, MI

In the summer of 2005, my husband and I volunteered at Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge in Homer, Alaska. One day in early spring we flew to Katmai National Park and spent the entire day sitting on the edge of an enormous field of sedge, watching grizzlies play, sleep, scratch their backs, seek a mate …

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Photo credits: Top: © Patrick Endres, Alaska Stock; Bottom right and all slideshow photos: © Florian Schulz.

Map sources: U.S. and border region: Troy Merrill, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; Canada: Michael F. Proctor, University of Calgary.