![]() Overall, the species isn’t stable because each population exists on an island of land where bears can’t easily reach the other populations. Since it depends on the Northern Continental Divide population, the Cabinet-Yaak population isn’t distinct but it would likely die out if grizzlies were delisted. In 2017, a Missoula federal judge ruled that, under the Endangered Species Act, populations cannot be delisted one at a time unless they’re genetically distinct. When asked the same question, Endangered Species Coalition spokesman Nick Gevock knew. Willis Curdy asked Kujala why the bears weren’t being delisted and Kujala said he didn’t know. Both states insist the populations are recovered. ![]() Wyoming has demanded that the USFWS delist the Greater Yellowstone population and Montana has done the same for the Northern Continental Divide population. The Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk populations have less than 50 bears each and depend on the movement - voluntary or otherwise - of bears from the Northern Continental Divide if they are ever to grow to a size where the populations are self-sustaining. Neither the Bitterroot nor the Northern Cascade ecosystems officially have bears although there have been occasional reports of transitory grizzlies, particularly in the Bitterroot. But populations in the other recovery areas are doing poorly, if they exist at all. The populations in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems have estimated populations of between 700 and 1,000 bears each. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) must review all grizzly bear deaths and requests for exceptions to the Endangered Species Act. The grizzly bear is still protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act so FWP is still required to follow federal law when dealing with grizzly bears. “This is not a conversation about change in approach.” ![]() “We want to put it in statute,” Kujala said. Daniel Emrich, R-Great Falls, asked if the bill was necessary for either delisting or managing grizzly bears. It also says that FWP should use proactive measures to “prevent conflicts, including trapping and lethal measures.”įWP Chief of Staff Quentin Kujala said the bill doesn’t do anything more than put into statute FWP’s intent to manage grizzly bears, with particular emphasis on tracking mortality.Ĭommittee member Sen. Written by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), the bill says grizzly bears are recovered and once delisted, grizzlies should be managed by the state so that they remain delisted by tracking mortality due to hunting and moving bears out of the population. Mike Lang, R-Malta, introduce Senate Bill 85 ensuring FWP “manages grizzly bear populations at levels to maintain their delisted status.” On Tuesday afternoon, the Senate Fish and Game committee heard Sen. MISSOULA - Wildlife advocates opposed a bill regarding the management of grizzly bears partly because there was no mention of nonlethal control or improving connectivity between populations.
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