Federal officials have closed public comment on plans for how the government should restore grizzly bears to the Bitterroot Ecosystem. State wildlife officials are urging against trapping and relocating bears from other parts of Montana.
Montana wildlife officials are pushing for grizzlies in ecosystems around Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks to be removed from the endangered species list.
In Montana Fish Wildlife and Park’s (FWP) comments on the Bitterroot restoration, the department made it clear the state believes federal officials should prioritize delisting those grizzlies before turning attention to the Bitterroot.
FWP spokesman Greg Lemon spoke on the matter.
“It would provide some assurance to Montanans in general that we can live with bears, deal with conflict when it happens, avoid conflict the best we can and still have solutions,” Lemon said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was ordered by a federal district court in Montana last spring to develop a new plan for reintroduction in the Bitterroot.
Grizzlies around Montana’s national parks have surpassed population recovery goals set by the federal government.
If grizzlies are delisted, Montana officials would take on more management of the species in the state.
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Five grizzly bear deaths have been confirmed in Montana so far this year. Montana ranchers may qualify for meat processing settlement funds. Deer ticks, carriers of Lyme disease, detected in eastern Montana -
Grizzly bears in the Northern Rockies could soon be managed as a single population if a proposed federal rule is finalized. That could make it harder to remove federal protections for bears in the future. The public comment period, which ends May 16, has generated a lot of input. -
Gov. Greg Gianforte Tuesday signed into law a bill banning production and sale of lab-grown meat in Montana. A fishing access site located along the upper Yellowstone River has been temporarily closed due to increased grizzly bear activity.
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The collaborative group of state and federal agencies that manages grizzly bear recovery across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem met this week. The group discussed bear conflicts, population numbers and how to manage a growing bear population with a smaller team. -
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service to reexamine how a cattle grazing plan for areas north of Yellowstone National Park could impact grizzly bears. -
As grizzly bears continue expanding eastward outside of federal recovery zones, landowners are prepping for life with their new neighbors. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is hosting a series of Grizzly Bear Educational Workshops in central Montana.
