Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee
www.IGBConline.org

Charter

Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee

Mission: 

With the recent delisting and implementation of the Final Conservation Strategy for the Grizzly Bear in the Greater Yellowstone Area, theYellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee (YGCC) will replace the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee. The YGCC will be the coordinating body to implement the March 2007 Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy and promote the exchange of information about the Yellowstone grizzly bear population. 

Purpose, Duties and Scope:

Primary activities:

• Coordinate implementation of the “Final Conservation Strategy for the Grizzly Bear in the Greater Yellowstone Area, March 2007”;
• Ensure the population and habitat data are collected annually by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST), as specified in the Conservation Strategy, and evaluated to assess current status of the grizzly bear population;
• Share information and implement management actions in a coordinated fashion;
• Inform the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) about the Yellowstone grizzly bear population via annual reports by the YGCC Chair to IGBC at the winter IGBC meeting.
• Identify shortfalls in management, research, and financial needs and pursue the financial resources and budgets to successfully implement the coordinated Conservation Strategy;
• Implement a Biology and Monitoring Review per the specific direction in the Conservation Strategy, and submit a petition for re-listing as appropriate per the specific direction in the Conservation Strategy, to ensure agency responsiveness to changing circumstances of the grizzly or its habitat in the Greater Yellowstone Area; and

Three teams, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST), the Habitat Modeling Team (CEM), and the Information and Education Team (I&E), will perform necessary tasks and report to the YGCC.

Roles and responsibilities of teams:

Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team: Conducts research and monitoring that provides information needed by various agencies for immediate and long-term management of grizzly bears inhabiting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Current quantitative data on grizzly bears are required for formulation of management decisions that will insure survival of the population. IGBST annual reports are intended to facilitate the timely transfer of research and monitoring results and perspectives to management of the population.

Habitat Modeling Team (CEM):  Coordinate on the ground implementation of habitat standards, annual update of habitat information, required habitat analysis and annual reporting.

Information and Education Team: The goal of the I & E Committee is to have member agencies partner with NGO’s and the public to help provide information about how grizzlies and humans can coexist in a manner that is safe and beneficial for both.

The YGCC authorities include:

• Revise or amend the Conservation Strategy based on the best biological data and the best available science. Any such amendments will be subject to public review and comment, and must be approved by all the signatories to the March, 2007 Conservation Strategy.
• Establish meeting rules, procedures, and chairperson election rules for the committee. 
• Seek funding and develop partnerships to further the conservation of the Yellowstone grizzly bear by implementing the Conservation Strategy. Each agency is responsible for seeking the necessary funding to carry out the tasks assigned in the Conservation Strategy.

YGCC does not supersede the authority of the management agencies beyond specific actions agreed to as signatories of the Conservation Strategy.

Organizational Structure:

The Chair will serve a two year term. A Vice Chair will be elected at the beginning of the Chair’s term by a majority vote of the members. The Vice Chair will assume the Chair upon completion of the Chair’s term. The YGCC will strive for consensus but when consensus cannot be achieved, decisions of the YGCC will be determined by majority vote, provided the decisions are within the authority of the YGBC as outlined in the Conservation Strategy, and do not supersede the authority of the management agencies.

Membership:

This committee will be composed of members from the following agencies:

• Federal
• National Parks: Yellowstone and Grand Teton (Members appointed by Regional Director, NPS Intermountain Region).
• National Forests: Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Bridger-Teton, Caribou-Targhee, Custer, Gallatin, and Shoshone (Members appointed by Regional Foresters, Regions 1, 2 and 4).
• Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana offices. (Members appointed by State Directors from WY, MT and ID). 
• Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey (Members appointed by Regional Director, USGS). 
• State Wildlife Agencies (Representatives appointed by directors of state agencies)
• Idaho
• Wyoming
• Montana     

Local Government

• Idaho Representative (appointed by Idaho Association of Counties)
• Wyoming Representative (appointed by Wyoming County Commissioners Assoc)
• Montana Representative (appointed by Montana Association of Counties).

Tribal (Members appointed by Tribal Chairs) 

• One representative from the Shoshone Bannock and Eastern Shoshone Tribes.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, and Field Office Supervisors from Montana, Idaho and Wyoming will serve as an ex-officio member of the committee. 

Meetings:

YGCC will meet at least two times annually. Public notification of the meetings will be made by the chairperson or his/her representative.  YGCC meetings will be open to the public. Details on locations and times of meetings and other business issues will be determined at the first meeting.

Amendments:

This charter may be amended with a vote of at least 2/3 of the members.

YGBC Charter v. 09/17/07