grizzly bears

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to keep federal protections for grizzly bears in the lower 48 states, but it would change the rule that limits whether grizzly bears can be killed or hazed for management purposes.

As Montanans consider their future with grizzly bears, University of Montana scientists are helping inform the social, ecological and policy aspects of the dialogue.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is studying the best way to repopulate the Bitterroot Mountains with grizzly bears, and one new conservation easement might make it easier for bears to get there.

Some federal decisions related to grizzly bears are imminent, but so too are budget cutbacks and leadership changes that could affect grizzly management.

Tracking data indicates the two sub-adult grizzlies captured near Glacier National Park this summer and released near Yellowstone are adjusting to their new homes.

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.

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.

The new rules shorten the wolf trapping season to just Jan. 1 to Feb. 15, a time when most grizzly bears are hibernating in their dens and not in danger of becoming caught in a trap.

The judge agreed with the environmental advocacy groups that Wildlife Services failed to adequately review killings of grizzlies outside specific recovery zones.

Montana ranchers and rural communities will now have a better chance to proactively reduce conflicts with grizzly bears, thanks to substantial federal funding.