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Information and Education Plan
Bitterroot Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Recovery Area
January 2007
BACKGROUND
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) is composed of State and Federal agencies and the Wildlife Branch of British Columbia working together to recover the grizzly bear. Included in the IGBC are the State fish and game agencies of Idaho Montana, Washington and Wyoming, and Federal agencies that include the USDA-Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management.
IGBC was created though a Memorandum of Agreement in 1983 among the governors of the states of Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming and the Assistant Secretaries of the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture.
Grizzly bears were listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a threatened species in the lower 48 states in 1975. The grizzly was also included on the pre-ESA list of threatened and endangered species.
Historically, grizzly bears are believed to have numbered between 50,000 and 100,000 and ranged throughout western North America. Present day recovery efforts focus on remaining grizzly bear habitat in six ecosystems located in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming (North Cascades, Selkirk, Cabinet Yaak, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, Yellowstone and Bitterroot).
Efforts to monitor and recover grizzlies are ongoing in all ecosystems. Monitoring and management actions are occurring in the Bitterroot Ecosystem in Montana and Idaho, which no longer has any grizzlies, but where suitable habitat remains.
In addition to actual physical recovery of grizzly bear populations, IGBC also desires the individual ecosystem subcommittees to work with the public to gain more knowledge and understanding of the bear and potential sources of conflict with humans.
PROBLEM OR OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
The Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan lists the Bitterroot Ecosystem as an area that historically supported grizzly bears and one where grizzly bear recovery should be pursued. Recovery planning efforts were completed in 2000, but were placed on hold in June 2001. The IGBC vision for 2010 “to develop a defined course of action toward recovery” will require joint understanding of issues, sharing of knowledge (including new science and results of monitoring), and open communication among agencies, tribes, elected officials, interest groups, and the general public.
GOAL STATEMENTS
Increase Bitterroot Ecosystem Subcommittee (BES) understanding of past and current public attitudes towards grizzly bear recovery in the Bitterroot Ecosystem.
Increase understanding of status of and potential for grizzly bear recovery in the Bitterroot Ecosystem by communicating results/status of past planning efforts, aspects of EIS alternatives, implications of natural recolonization, and grizzly bear monitoring results since the EIS was completed in 2000.
Increase support for and compliance with agency management actions aimed at preparing for grizzly bear presence in the Bitterroot Ecosystem.
Increase the understanding of grizzly bears and their habitat by agency personnel, tribes, interest groups, elected officials, and the general public.
Increase public understanding of sources of potential conflict between human activities/behavior and grizzly bears, and actions that can be taken by individuals or management agencies to avoid conflicts.
Foster information sharing to assure maximum resource, policy, and scientific information exchange among agencies, tribes, elected officials, interest groups, local residents, and the general public.
Gamer public support for grizzly bear recovery in the Bitterroot Ecosystem by reaching out to those that oppose recovery and by unifying those that support recovery.
Specific Goals
General:
- Consolidate Information and Education (I&E) resource materials. Work with other IGBC subcommittees and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to consolidate and standardize available I&E information and materials.
- Develop standardized training for employees of BBS member agencies to help promote understanding and coordinate dissemination of general grizzly bear information.
- Develop standardized information packet and presentation for use by BBS member agency employees.
- Inform all affected parties (agencies, tribes, elected officials, interest groups, local residents, and general public) about status of grizzly bear recovery efforts in the Bitterroot Ecosystem, and the probability/implications of natural recolonization.
Public Attitudes:
- Synthesize past public input (local, regional, national) and social/economic information.
- Improve/update BES understanding of the attitudes of elected officials and the general public regarding grizzly bear recovery in the Bitterroot Ecosystem.
Sanitation / Safety:
- Continue sanitation improvements and outreach efforts aimed at wildlife sanitation and safety issues.
- Encourage local, state, tribal and federal support for the need to improve sanitation and food storage.
- Inform local residents, landowners, permittees, and other users of sanitation guidelines on public lands within the Bitterroot Ecosystem and encourage voluntary compliance with those guidelines.
- Inform/educate local residents living within or adjacent to the Bitterroot Ecosystem about general wildlife sanitation issues/guidelines and encourage voluntary compliance to reduce chances of conflicts with wildlife on private property.
Hunter-caused Mortalities:
- Ensure that hunters are able to positively identify black and grizzly bears and thus reduce potential for accidental shootings of grizzly bears that may naturally immigrate to the BE from other occupied ecosystems.
- Include information on bear identification and sanitation in hunter education programs to protect non-target species including grizzly bears.
AUDIENCES
Local residents, especially inholders and those landholders adjacent to public lands
Forest users (recreationists, hunters, anglers, personal-use firewood cutters, permittees, etc)
Chambers of Commerce
General public
Federal land management agencies (PS, BLM, USFWS)
State natural resource agencies for Idaho and Montana
Local agencies responsible for land management planning, law enforcement, economic development, etc.
Tribal governments who have ancestral lands within, or whose members use, the Bitterroot Ecosystem
Elected officials (national, state, and local)
Conservation groups (local, regional, national)
Outfitter/Guide industry (i.e., hunting, river rafting, wildlife viewing)
Timber industry (local and regional)
Grazing industry (sheep and cattle)
KEY MESSAGES
Grizzly bears do not currently occupy the Bitterroot Ecosystem. The last verified death of a grizzly bear in the Bitterroot occurred in 1932 and the last tracks indicating grizzly bear occupancy were observed in 1946. Although occasional reports of grizzly sightings occur in the Bitterroot, none are verifiable as grizzly bears. There have been two verified reports since 2000 of grizzly bears moving briefly from occupied grizzly bear habitat in western Montana near the western portion of the Bitterroot Ecosystem in Montana. One grizzly l was killed and the other disappeared.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. directs grizzly bear recovery should be pursued in the Bitterroot Ecosystem, along with the Yellowstone, Northern Continental Divide, Selkirk, Cabinet/Yaak, and North Cascades Ecosystems. The Service prepared an environmental impact statement, and signed a final rule and record of decision to reintroduce a non-essential experimental population of grizzly bears to the Bitterroot in November 2000. In June 2001, the Service reevaluated the decision to reintroduce grizzly bears and published a Notice of Intent and proposed rule to select the “Natural Recovery” alternative which allows for protection of grizzly bears that may move into the Bitterroot from other areas, but does not reintroduce bears. Natural movement of grizzly bears into the Bitterroot Ecosystem may occur and would be supported by the Service. Any such grizzly bears would have full protection as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
The Bitterroot Ecosystem is one of the largest contiguous blocks of public land remaining in the lower 48 States. The core of the ecosystem contains three Wilderness areas which make up the largest block of wilderness habitat in the Rocky Mountains south of Canada. Of all the remaining unoccupied grizzly bear habitat in the lower 48 States, this area has the best potential for grizzly bear recovery, primarily due to the large core of designated Wilderness areas.
Improper food storage and handling of wildlife attractants have led to human health and safety issues across lands throughout North America, and include interactions with moose, black and grizzly bears, mountain lions, raccoons, rats, skunks, jays, crows and magpies, among others. Management removals of bears resulting from food conditioning and inappropriate attractant storage was one of several major issues in the initial listing of the grizzly bear as a threatened species, and remains a very real concern in recovery efforts.
Appropriately stored human food and attractants can reduce risks to humans and their property resulting from food-conditioned wildlife. Proper sanitation can reduce mortalities and control actions of wildlife, including species protected under the Endangered Species Act such as the grizzly bear.
Grizzly bears are often killed when they are mistaken as black bears by hunters unaware of physical traits that can help differentiate the two species.
Management agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the USDA Forest Service in cooperation with various non-governmental organizations continue to monitor for grizzly bear movement into the Bitterroot Ecosystem. These agencies and organizations in addition to private companies (Simmons Sanitation and BFI) are also taking management actions to increase public awareness of wildlife sanitation issues and black bear/grizzly bear identification techniques and to improve wildlife sanitation within the Bitterroot Ecosystem.
COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND PRODUCTS
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I&E Product or Activity
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Who
Responsible
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Date
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Funding
Needed *
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Remarks
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Continue with sanitation program — dumpster placement, informational signs on wildlife sanitation.
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NGOs, Forest
Service, State
Wildlife
Agencies, private
companies.
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FY05
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None for
FY05
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NGOs will contribute necessary funds for FY05 sanitation work.
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Conduct sanitation training workshops for interest groups (outfitters, backcountry horsemen, OHV groups), and appropriate agency personnel
(FS, IDFG, MDFWP).
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State Wildlife
Agencies, FWS
NGOs
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FY05
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$3,000
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Hold training workshops opportunistically (i.e., at spring IOGA meeting, annual FS seasonal training sessions).
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Gather existing and appropriate I&E materials on sanitation, bear identification, backcountry safety from other ecosystems and sources. Disseminate materials at workshops and to agency/NGO offices and retail shops that serve as public contact points.
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FWS, State
Wildlife
Agencies, NGOs
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FY05
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$2,000
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Numerous existing brochures and I&E materials (i.e., IDFG, CWI, “Be Bear Aware” program, etc). Print additional copies of materials if necessary.
Establish an entity to serve as a clearinghouse.
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Synthesize past public input on grizzly bear recovery in the Bitterroot Ecosystem. Conduct survey on current public attitudes toward natural recolonization and reintroduction.
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State Wildlife Agencies, FWS, NGOs
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FY05 or
FY06
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$5,000 +
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Approach NGOs to assist with potential funding.
Consider delaying survey/poll to FY06 to allow for informational outreach in
FY05.
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Summer backcountry and hunter contacts made by agency personnel to discuss wildlife sanitation and bear identification.
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Land Management
Agencies and
State Wildlife Agencies
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FY05
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None
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Funding provided by agency contribution/match.
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Give talks as possible to local school groups, scouting groups, forest users on carnivore ecology, identification, sanitation and minimal impact camping techniques.
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FWS, State Wildlife Agencies, NGOs
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FY05
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$2,000
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Utilize materials from the FWS “Living with Carnivores” program. Also check on IDFG similar programs.
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* Funding requested from IGBC Information and Education funds.
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