Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks was awarded nearly $5 million by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The money will expand existing programs aimed at reducing conflicts between grizzly bears and landowners. Programs like electric fencing, carcass removals, bear-resistant containers and the use of range riders — people on horseback who closely follow livestock herds to deter bears.
These programs are all part of collaborative partnership between state and federal agencies, nonprofits and landowner groups to better address growing grizzly populations and their impacts on rural communities.
This funding will be pooled with another federal grant, for a total of $12 million to support cost-sharing for landowners interested in using these non-lethal techniques.
FWP is partnering with the Heart of the Rockies Initiative nonprofit to host community workshops across western Montana this winter and spring to connect landowners with this money.
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Three hunters in two separate incidents recently came face to face with grizzly bears near Big Sky. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks says there were no injuries, but advises recreationists to be wary. -
Local and tribal governments will now get an advanced notice before state wildlife officials relocate bears into their area, under a new state law that went into effect this week. -
A federal court ruled Wednesday the U.S. Forest Service broke the law when it expanded livestock grazing in grizzly bear habitat north of Yellowstone National Park. -
The Congressional Western Caucus met with federal and state officials at a conference in the Flathead this week. They called for more aggressive natural resource management, more state control and less federal bureaucracy. -
Governor announces workforce development initiative; Choteau man pleads guilty in grizzly bear poaching case; Plane crash at Kalispell airport leaves two people with minor injuries
