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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A Troy man has been charged with killing a grizzly bear and tampering with evidence in a federal investigation.
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The federal government announced Wednesday it’s planning how it will restore a breeding population of grizzlies to the Bitterroot and it wants the public to weigh in.
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Environmental advocates this week filed a lawsuit against a proposed logging project southwest of West Yellowstone.
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Montana’s Fish and Wildlife Commission passed several changes to wolf and grizzly management in their recent end of year meeting.
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Grizzly bear managers in Montana last week said their top goal is to remove Endangered Species Act protections from the bruins and transition to managing a delisted population. A recommendation to delist bears in and around Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks could come in early 2024.
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A federal court shortened Montana’s wolf trapping by over two months. The ruling aims to protect grizzlies.