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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Search and Rescue crews in Glacier National Park have discovered the remains of a hiker who had been missing since Sunday evening. Park officials say the injuries are consistent with those sustained by a bear attack. -
The deadline to decide on whether grizzly bears will remain under federal protection has been pushed back by a year. The U.S.. Fish and Wildlife Service was originally court-ordered to make a decision by the end of January, but last Friday, a federal judge extended that deadline to the end of the year. -
Raising domestic livestock in wild places comes with challenges. Especially when ranching happens alongside predators like grizzly bears and wolves. New research sheds light on decades-old practice of monitoring livestock and deterring predators on horseback. -
Recreationists in several National Forests must keep all food and attractants safely contained and away from wildlife. That’s mandated by Food Storage Orders. A group of volunteers are helping enforce the orders amid staffing cuts -
To grizzlies, they're unbearable. To wildlife managers they're a game changer. Drones mounted with thermal cameras are increasingly being used to help reduce conflicts between people and bears. Managers say drones provide them a safer option for hazing bears, and see more technological advances on the horizon.
