Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Scientists and community members say they’re excited to work with the Environmental Protection Agency to outline a new round of sampling for toxins at a Superfund site near Missoula.

Montana lawmakers are advancing a plan aimed at proving that the state is ready to manage grizzly bears if they are delisted from federal protections.

State wildlife officials say that the first documented cases of avian flu infections in grizzly bears have been detected in Montana.

There were 47 grizzly bear mortalities in northwest Montana this year, which is just below the record-breaking numbers from the recent past. Experts say some of those bears appeared to have a brain disease which has not been seen in this population.

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is asking the public to weigh in on a proposed plan to manage grizzly bears statewide.

Montana’s general big game season is over and a check station for north-central Montana in Augusta reports the fewest hunters through the station in 30 years and the second lowest harvest of animals in the last 40 years.

Wildlife conservation groups have created an app for citizen scientists to help data collection efforts on animal movements across Montana. One of the goals of the program is to prevent wildlife collisions on roads and train tracks.

Conservation groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday alleging that Montana’s wolf hunting and trapping policies violate state and federal laws.

The Montana State Land Board approved the acquisition of almost 6,000 acres in the Big Snowy Mountains on Monday. The land will now become the state’s newest wildlife management area.

State wildlife officials say two grizzly bears were trapped and removed from the Bitterroot Valley this week. The two sub-adult grizzlies were captured between Florence and Lolo, radio collared and relocated to the neighboring Sapphire Mountains.