Citizens assert the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission violated public meeting requirements when it approved the elimination of black bear quotas without prior notice.
Using a no-notice amendment, the Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission voted to eliminate quotas that biologists wanted to keep black bear populations from declining.
Grizzly bear advocates claim the federals government has fallen short on its obligation to protect federally protected wildlife from black bear baiting in Idaho and Wyoming.
Wildlife biologists have euthanized three black bears that were addicted to human food, but their recent behavior showed that the Bear Smart Missoula program is having an effect.
While the number of reported bears in the Missoula urban interface is down compared to last year – likely due to a better food crop – the issue still remains a problem, both for the bears and for some people.
Jamie Jonkel, bear management specialist with FWP, said bears are extra active this time of year, especially in lower elevations where they food is more abundant and needed as the animals prepare for winter.
Changes to Missoula County's solid waste regulations will widen the bear buffer zone around the city limits and phase in the requirement of bear-resistant trash bins over the next three years.
With bear conflicts on the rise, Missoula County has voiced its intent to adopt changes to existing health codes that would expand the bear buffer zone around the city and implement over three years a measure requiring bear-proof trash containers.