Tag Archives: grizzly bear research

Grizzly bear monitoring continues in Glacier Park

Now in its ninth year, an interagency grizzly bear study led by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will be active in Glacier National Park. Here’s the press release . . .

A long-term interagency program to monitor grizzly bear population trends in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem will continue at Glacier National Park this year.

Bait stations, automated cameras, and traps are used to capture and monitor grizzly bears within the park. Bait stations and trap sites are marked with brightly colored warning and closure signs. Visitors are asked to respect posted signs and not enter sites where grizzly bear traps or bait stations are present.

Glacier National Park wildlife biologists attempt to maintain a sample of up to 10 radio-collared female grizzly bears out of an estimated population of 300 grizzly bears living in the park. Trapping efforts will continue through October at various locations throughout Glacier National Park.

The interagency grizzly bear monitoring program began in 2004 and is led by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Participating agencies include: National Park Service, United States Forest Service, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the Blackfeet Nation.

Feds prepare for grizzly bear delisting

Grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) could be removed form the threatened species list as early as next year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFS) is developing a “conservation strategy” to deal with this eventuality. On May 2, a draft version of this plan was released for public comment.

There is going to be a lot of public comment, especially since delisting could result in hunting of this iconic animal.

Here are some links to bring you up to speed . . .

The USFS “Grizzly Bear Recovery” page contains information and links to material on grizzly bears in the NCDE, including links to the “Draft NCDE Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy” and appendices.

Some useful articles in the local press:

Grizzly captures planned in Northwestern Montana

Plans are afoot again this year to capture grizzly bears for research purposes . . .

Biologists will begin capturing grizzly bears in northwestern Montana this month as part of ongoing research into the population of the threatened species.

The work will take place in the Blackfoot Valley, along the Rocky Mountain Front, in the Swan and Clearwater River Valleys, within Glacier National Park, and in the North and Middle Forks of the Flathead River.

Continue reading . . .