Conservation

Although the lower 48 states now have more grizzly bears than it did in the 1970s, biologists and environmental groups argue that more is needed for full species recovery, including a new recovery plan.

Steve Kelly writes, "Today, more than 23 million acres of these undeveloped landscapes – in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Eastern Oregon and Washington – remain unprotected, imperiled and ever increasingly vulnerable to being exploited and destroyed."

Wildlife advocates have asked the courts to require the Bitterroot National Forest to keep its limits on road building to preserve wildlife and bull trout habitat.

The project aims to reduce excess sediment delivery into critical habitat for steelhead, Chinook salmon and bull trout.

Governor Greg Gianforte announced the appointment of Christy Clark as FWP director. Clark is currently the director of the Montana Department of Agriculture.

Uncertainty has settled in regarding the river's future as climate change and increased development have reduced water flow over the years.

KC York writes, "Massive, injurious leghold traps, strangling snares, and quick-kill-body-crushing conibear traps, can be baited, and secreted DIRECTLY on the closed roads that hundreds of people routinely recreate on in the winter."

Mike Garrity writes, "Nearly 13 square miles (8,283 acres) are slated for commercial logging to produce four million board feet of timber a year."

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees updated the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem grizzly bear subcommittee on upcoming decisions on grizzly bears in the lower 48 states, including the highly anticipated answer to delisting petitions from the states of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

This latest acquisition is in the foothills of the Little Rocky Mountains and totals 51,731 acres, including 2,557 deeded acres and 49,174 leased acres, making it the second-largest purchase in the nonprofit’s 23-year history.