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 The Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) encompasses about 9,600 square miles of northwestern Montana, and includes Glacier National Park, parts of the Flathead and Blackfeet Indian Reservations, parts of 5 national forests (Flathead, Helena, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark and Lolo), Bureau of Land Management lands, and a significant amount of state and private lands. Also within this region are 4 wilderness areas (Bob Marshall, Mission Mountains, Great bear and Scapegoat), one wildnerness study area (Deep Creek north), and one scenic area (Ten Lakes).
 The NCDE is believed to have the largest population of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states, although the number of bears is unknown at present. In 2004, fieldwork was completed that should provide an estimate of population size using DNA extracted from hair samples collected throughout the NCDE. Results of this work are expected in 2008. More information on the Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project can be found on the USGS website http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/research/NCDEbeardna.htm
I nformation, on both population size and trend, is needed to improve knowledge of grizzly bear ecology and to judge the status of the grizzly population in the NCDE. Therefore, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, in cooperation with many other agencies, initiated a program to monitor the population trend of grizzly bears in the NCDE. The purpose of this long-term program is to monitor the vital population parameters of grizzly bears by assessing the survival and reproductive rates, as well as trend.  More information on NCDE Grizzly Bear Population Monitoring can be found on the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website http://fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/tande/monitoring.html
The NCDE subcommittee meets biannually to coordinate grizzly bear recovery efforts throughout the ecosystem. Agencies include Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Park Service, USDA Forest Service, USDA APHIS-Wildlife Services, US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Land Management, Blackfeet Tribe, and Confederate Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
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