Selkirk griz proposed for NCDE delisting
BONNERS FERRY — If and when the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) grizzly bear population is delisted, the Selkirk/Cabinet grizzly bear population may be included.
Grizzly bears were listed as a threatened species in the Lower 48 states under the Endangered Species Act in 1975 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In May, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopted a position statement on grizzly bears in Idaho. They are proposing that the Selkirk and Cabinet grizzly bear populations be delisted with the NCDE population (includes Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in the Northern Continental Divide Region of northwestern Montana).
Given the small recovery area of the Selkirk and Cabinet grizzly bear populations they may never get delisted explained Tony McDermott, Idaho Fish and Game Commission.
“Our state perspective is that if NCDE gets delisted on its own, it will make it a tougher road for the two populations in Idaho and northwest Montana,” said Chip Corsi, Idaho Fish and Game, at the May KVRI meeting.
There is movement between the Selkirk, Cabinet and NCDE populations and the Commission is trying to tie the North Idaho population in with the NCDE population said McDermott.
The Cabinet/Yaak is a tough area for grizzly bears to make a living and the question is why they are listed as a separate population said McDermott.
As of October 2012, the USFWS estimated over 40 grizzly bears in the Cabinet/Yaak ecosystem and about 80 bears in the Selkirk ecosystem. A DNA population study is under way to determine the number of grizzly bears in the Cabinet/Yaak ecosystem.
Grizzly bear populations have increased in occupied core areas in Idaho to the point where bears are dispersing to other areas where they are prone to conflict with humans stated Idaho Fish and Game Commission in their position statement.
“We think Idaho can manage wildlife populations more effectively than federal agencies,” said McDermott. “We’ve done everything in our power for grizzly bears...state management makes sense.”
The USFWS could save millions by simply delisting the bear throughout all of Idaho said McDermott. The state has the regulatory and enforcement mechanisms in place and people would be more tolerant of bears if the state were managing them he said.
The Commission stated that heightened federal requirements under the ESA, combined with inadequate federal funding, results in greater public relation challenges and less efficient agency actions when addressing bear-human conflicts.
Key to the success of this effort is effective and efficient management of bear-human conflict, the statement said.
The Commission advocates for the prompt federal delisting and transition to state management for grizzly bears throughout Idaho, the statement said.
NCDE Grizzly Bears
The NCDE grizzly bear population is progressing towards delisting. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) is seeking the public’s input on a draft conservation strategy for the NCDE grizzly bear population. This document describes the management and monitoring programs that would be in place if and when the NCDE population is delisted from the ESA.
Public comment must be submitted by Aug. 1.
For instructions on how to comment on the draft Conservation Strategy or to view the strategy, visit http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/continentalindex.html or mail comments to Attention: NCDE, Conservation Strategy, USFWS, University Hall, Room 309, Missoula, MT 59812.
The KVRI Grizzly Bear Conservation Committee meets Wednesday, June 12 at 8:30 a.m. at the Kootenai Tribal Office for an update of the Cabinet/Yaak grizzly bear population study and to discuss the proposal to delist grizzlies by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.