The USFW Service has(in my opinion) already decided that the Northern Continental Divide Grizzly Population(including Yellowstone) will get delisted off of the Endangered Species List come 2014...............The history of the USFW Service is when they get to the point of asking for "PUBLIC COMMENTS", they are being disengenuous and privately have reached their decisions about whatever issue is at hand................The report card on how the Rocky Mtn States have handled Federal delisting of Wolves is abysmal, and gives me great pause and concern as to how the states will institute "killing seasons" on the Griz once delisting becomes formalized..................State Game Commissions take to heart the latin name of the Griz---Ursus arctos horribilis- with their management plans for this iconic bruin likely to revolve around their perception of it being "horribilis"(horrible)

 

 

Contacts:
Chris Servheen 406.243.4903; Chris_Servheen@fws.gov
Leith Edgar 303.236.4588; Leith_Edgar@fws.gov

















Since listing in 1975, the NCDE grizzly
 population has increased in numbers and
 distribution thanks to the protections of the
 Endangered Species Act and our many state,
 federal, and tribal partners who have
 implemented recovery actions, coordinated
 research
 efforts, and improved habitat management.

“We developed this strategy because maintenance
of a healthy, recovered grizzly population depends
on the effective continuation of many partnerships
 to manage and conserve the Northern Continental
 Divide Ecosystem
 grizzly bear population and its habitat,” said Noreen
 Walsh, Mountain-Prairie regional
 director. “By involving the public, we aim to arrive
 at a scientifically-based strategy that
 not only ensures the persistence of grizzlies in the
 Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem,
 but also works for the people living in the places
 that grizzlies call home.”

Biologists are seeking public review and input on
the draft strategy, which describes
the regulatory framework for management and
monitoring of the NCDE grizzly bear
population and its habitat upon delisting, i.e.,
recovery and removal from the Endangered
Species Act’s (ESA) Federal List of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife.

The key to public support and successful
 management of grizzly bears is to balance
multiple land uses, public safety, and careful
consideration of grizzly bear needs. 
Human-caused mortality is the limiting factor
 for nearly all grizzly bear populations
in the world and this Conservation Strategy
aims to manage mortality at sustainable
levels through habitat protections that minimize
mortality risk while emphasizing conflict
prevention, conflict response, and decisions
grounded in scientific data and monitoring. 
The conservation strategy demonstrates the
adequacy of regulatory mechanisms that
will remain in place post-delisting to assure
 the health of the NCDE population.


It describes the management and monitoring








direction to maintain a recovered grizzly
 bear population in the NCDE and documents
 the commitment of the following signatory
agencies through a Memorandum of
Understanding:  Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks,
 the Montana Department of Natural Resources
 and Conservation, the Blackfeet Nation,
 the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes,
 the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park
Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau
of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. Implementation of the
strategy will allow the signatories to continue
managing NCDE grizzlies and their habitat
 according to the agreements reached during
the interagency process of developing the
document.

Instructions on how to comment on the draft
 strategy are available on the following
webpage:
 http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/
species/mammals/grizzly/continentalindex.html

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
 Service is working with others to conserve,
protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants,
and their habitats for the continuing benefit
 of the American people. We are both a leader
 and trusted partner in fish and wildlife
conservation, known for our scientific
excellence, stewardship of lands and natural
resources, dedicated professionals, and
commitment to public service.

 For more
 information on our work and the people
who make it happen
, visithttp://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/.
 Connect with our Facebook
 page at http://www.facebook.com/USFWS
MountainPrairie, follow our
tweets athttp://twitter.com/USFWSMtnPrairie,
watch our YouTube Channel
 at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and
 download photos from our
Flickr page athttp://www.flickr.com/
photos/usfwsmtnprairie/

Email Us: MountainPrairie@fws.gov
Mountain-Prairie Region Press Releases

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