Independently reported news stories of Montana's people, land, water and wildlife.
When Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke removed grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from the Endangered Species list in late June, at least seven environmental groups filed notices of intent to sue him. But Indian tribes have beaten them to the punch, citing violations of religious freedom.
Read MoreWith grizzly-bear recovery potentially complete in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, agencies are daring to plan for a time when most bears are under state control.
A lot of balls remain in the air as the Interagency Grizzly Bear Executive Committee met to consider its next five-year plan. The committee is juggling the pending delisting of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population and the myriad of challenges posed by the six other regions of grizzly recovery in the Northwest.
Read MoreWildlife Services helps Montana livestock producers kill thousands of wild predators every year. But as its funding decreases, the agency may have to leave producers to their own devices, which may include bounties.
On Friday, John Steuber, Montana State Director of Wildlife Services, told the Montana Board of Livestock that Wildlife Services, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, probably couldn’t continue killing predators without the money it gets from the state, especially from cattle producers who pitch in 50 cents to a dollar per head.
Read MoreThe Board of Livestock seemed more like the Board of Grizzly Bears on Friday as concerns about carnivores filled most of the morning’s agenda.
Livestock producers on the northern plains have had to deal with more grizzly bears this year so they don’t want to lose management tools and want more say in the bear’s management, according to Livestock Board members.
Read MoreA petition asking for a limit on use of anti-predator poisonous devices has been denied, but it’s still got livestock groups on the alert.
At the end of a brief Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission meeting Thursday, Zach Strong of the Natural Resources Defense Council expressed frustration over the commission’s rejection in May of an NRDC petition to limit trap threats to grizzly bears and other wildlife.
Read MoreMontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks tried to justify a big jump in a Gardiner area wolf quota, but after lengthy public comment, the Fish and Wildlife commission didn’t buy it.
On a 3-1 vote, the commission decided against an FWP proposal to increase the quota in management unit 313 to six wolves, even though the six would be meted out over time. The period of September 4 through November 30 would have a limit of three wolves and another three would be allowed between December 1 and March 15.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, some people were still trying to rally eleventh-hour opposition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to delist the Yellowstone grizzly bear population. Wednesday marked the final day of the 60-day public-comment period for a USFWS proposal to remove the grizzly bear from the Endangered Species list,.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representative updated the legislative Environmental Quality Council on what the future might hold for grizzly bears in southwest Montana as long as endangered-species delisting moves forward.
Matt Hogan, USFWS Mountain Prairie Region Deputy Director, told the committee that a big part of the delisting proposal released last week is the associated Conservation Strategy, which should ensure Yellowstone area grizzly bear population stays viable after delisting. The conservation strategy sets bear mortality limits and regulatory mechanisms that Montana, Wyoming and Idaho must use if they implement hunting seasons.
Read MoreGrizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone area may soon be treated like any other species if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s second delisting proposal is approved.
On Thursday, the USFWS announced it would remove the greater Yellowstone area grizzly bears from Endangered Species protection because the population has recovered. The decision was discussed at the most recent Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee meeting in December, although it’s been looming for more than a year.
Read MoreMontana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission joins other organizations in calling for the end of federally-funded sheep grazing in the Centennial Mountains.
After last week’s marathon FWP commission meeting, the commissioner sent letters to Montana’s Congressional delegation asking them to remove Montana lands from the area managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Experimental Sheep Station.
Read MoreIn refusing to increase protection and designate critical habitat in the Cabinet-Yaak region, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has probably hampered grizzly-bear recovery, according to a new lawsuit.
On Monday, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the third time in almost two years for not giving more protection to grizzly bears in the Cabinet-Yaak region of northwest Montana.
Read MoreA new study backs up recent grizzly-bear finding that dangerous encounters with predators can be minimized if people are taught how to be smarter.
On Wednesday, University of Calgary bear-attack expert Stephen Herrero published a study detailing almost 70 years of large carnivore attacks and showed that at least half were brought on by human themselves. His aim is to quell the fear of carnivores that some people develop if they don’t understand animal behavior or how to avoid dangerous situations.
Read MoreThe 25-year-old Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee realized it has long overlooked some important aspects of doing business. Now it’s working on giving its members clearer guidance, which they’ll need if grizzly bears are delisted.
On Tuesday in Missoula, the 23-member Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee wrestled over how to compensate for chaos both within the committee and without after members voiced the need for better definition of the roles of the executive committee and the regional subcommittees that have been attempting to recover the grizzly bear for a quarter century.
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Photo credit: Terry Tollefsbol / NPS
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks seek information on the poaching of a male grizzly bear in the Swan Valley.
The bear was found dead about 10 miles north of Seeley Lake along Highway 83 on Nov. 6. Investigators retrieved the carcass and discovered the bear had died about two weeks ago – between Nov. 3 and Nov. 5 - of a gunshot wound. The bear has been sent to the FWP laboratory in Bozeman for further analysis.
Grizzly bears are protected under the Endangered Species Act so intentionally poaching a grizzly bear is a federal felony.
FWP and the USFWS ask that anyone with information on the killing call 800-TIP-MONT. Callers may remain anonymous and may earn a reward of up to $2,000 if the tip leads to a conviction.
After a Yellowstone National Park seasonal employee recently died after being attacked by a grizzly bear, some are rallying against a park decision to euthanize the bear.
On Friday, Lance Crosby, 63, of Billings was found dead a half-mile off the Elephant Back Loop trail near Lake Village on the northwest shore of Yellowstone Lake.
On Wednesday afternoon, an autopsy confirmed that Crosby hadn't died of any other medical condition, so it's likely he was killed by a bear, according to the Associated Press. An earlier National Park Service statement said wounds on Crosby’s arms appeared to be defensive.
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