A federal appeals court upheld a lower court's decision that will prevent grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem from being hunted.

On Wednesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Montana federal judge's opinion that reinstated Endangered Species Act protections for the grizzly bear.

The ruling will bar trophy hunts for grizzly bears in Wyoming and Idaho, according to an announcement from the environmental organization Earthjustice.

"This is a tremendous victory for those who care about Yellowstone and its grizzly bears," Earthjustice attorney Tim Preso said in a written statement. "The court rightfully rejected the misguided proposal to subject Yellowstone grizzlies to trophy hunting for the first time in 40 years.

"The grizzly bear is an icon of our remaining wildness at a time when our wilderness is shrinking and our wildlife is under assault."

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