Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bears are a high-profile multi-use species currently protected under the Endangered Species Act. As their population has grown over time, counts of grizzly bear-human conflicts and grizzly bear mortalities have increased. A bioeconomic model is constructed in which a representative wildlife agency maximizes social net benefits from grizzly bears by deciding whether to enact direct population control. A linear optimal control specification is used to reflect the realities of negotiated and rigid active management programs. Stock-dependent benefits and damages adjust along the recovery path, which tracks the natural capital value of a live grizzly bear in the wild (i.e., the in situ marginal net benefits) as the population size changes. Benchmark results indicate that the grizzly bear population has exceeded the size at which protections ought to have been removed. The natural capital value may actually be negative for an interval of time, during which it is optimal for society to continue conserving the species by developing a buffer. The results of the analysis are sensitive to key ecological and economic parameters, especially on the benefits side.

大黄石生态系统的灰熊是备受瞩目的多用途物种，目前受到《濒危物种法》的保护。随着人口的增长，灰熊与人之间的冲突和灰熊的死亡人数也在增加。构建了一种生物经济模型，在该模型中，有代表性的野生动物机构​​通过决定是否实施直接种群控制来最大程度地提高灰熊的社会净收益。线性最优控制规范用于反映经过协商和严格的主动管理程序的现实。依赖于存量的收益和损害会沿着恢复路径进行调整，该路径会跟踪野外活的北美灰熊（即原地）的自然资本价值边际净收益）随着人口规模的变化而变化。基准结果表明，灰熊的数量已经超过了应删除保护措施的范围。自然资本价值实际上可能在一段时间内为负值，在此期间，对于社会而言，最好通过开发缓冲区来继续保护物种。分析结果对关键的生态和经济参数敏感，尤其是在利益方面。