It is definately a step in the right direction. Maybe hunting in the future????? There was hunting back when there were only "supposedly" 250 bears left.



Yellowstone grizzlies may be delisted
By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press

Federal wildlife officials plan to propose as early as next month that grizzly bears around Yellowstone National Park be removed from protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said officials believe there are adequate protections in place for both the bears and their habitat.

"We're on the verge of doing what we set out to do," he said. "If I wasn't comfortable, I wouldn't be doing this."


But some conservationists say oil and gas development and housing in more rural areas are among the threats to the bears' habitat. They argue that Fish and Wildlife is moving too fast to ensure the grizzlies' long-term future in the region.

"We shouldn't be taking chances with this icon species," said Janet Barwick, Wild Bears Project associate with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

More than 600 grizzlies are estimated to live in the Yellowstone ecosystem, a vast swath of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho that also contains six national forests. Servheen said the population has been growing at a rate of 4 percent to 6 percent a year and that, eventually, it's going to stabilize. He said there are places where bear numbers could rise and others, particularly near communities, where growth needs to slow.

He said the absolute floor level for the population, though, would be 500.

Servheen doesn't see much changing for Yellowstone-area bears once they're removed from the list of animals protected by the federal law. The grizzlies, which he says are the most studied bear population in the world, will continue to be watched closely, as will their habitat and food sources. Plans call for officials to spend about $1 million more a year for such activities as management and monitoring after they are delisted, he said.

Grizzlies have been listed as a threatened species in the region for 30 years, and their removal from federal protection could not come soon enough for some, particularly in Wyoming. That state is home to many of the bears.

Wyoming wildlife officials are working on occupancy guidelines, identifying areas that would be considered biologically suitable and socially acceptable for the bears. The state Game and Fish Commission is expected to consider the plan in mid-July, said John Emmerich, of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Bucky Hall, a county commissioner in Park County, Wyo., near Yellowstone, said there are concerns about growing conflicts between grizzlies and people. Bears, he said, are "just pouring out of the park, literally."

"You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone on the ground who doesn't think there are enough bears," he said.

Douglas L. Thompson, a county commissioner in Wyoming's Fremont County, which he said passed a resolution declaring grizzlies socially and economically unacceptable and therefore unwanted, said delisting is a "noble goal." But, he said, details of any such proposal will be important. If there isn't greater management control at a more localized level, "we won't have gained anything," he said.

Heidi Godwin, associate regional representative for the Sierra Club, said there are still plenty of questions surrounding bears, including the availability of money for management and monitoring after delisting.

"How are they going to do this?" Godwin said. "That's one of the most concerning aspects for us."

Barwick said her group would fight a delisting proposal now.

Servheen said he expects a 90-day comment period to follow release of the agency's proposal. A final decision wouldn't be expected until sometime next year, he said.

Yep... A dream come true... Maybe we'll get to hunt grizzly's in the lower 48 again.

Of course the danged guide associations will be scrambling to make sure we can't hunt them without a guide...

$bob$

I have no misconceptions about this lower 48 grizzly hunting. The prices will be about triple what you can hunt one in BC for, and all the celebrity TV hunters will get tags somehow. Probably be able to go to Alaska cheaper

In Wyoming I think it will be $5000 for a nonresident. Not sure about residnet prices. I would pay $5000 even as a resident to shoot one.

"We shouldn't be taking chances with this icon species," said Janet Barwick, Wild Bears Project associate with the Natural Resources Defense Council.


This is the kind of rhetoric that really irks me about my fellow conservationists. Most of you know where I stand on Grizzlys and Wolves -----> protect them; re-introduce them; find an acceptable equilibrium; de-list them and HUNT them! Groups like the NRDC want list them, re-introduce them and whine for the next 100 years. Not sound science in my book. Luckily I can tell you from experience that most of the younger wildlife people coming up the ranks are much more common sense oriented and hunter friendly than some of these extremists they will be replacing.......

That would be good news if it pans out....

Your baiting me like a black bear aren't you Kudu?????.........



IV

They always bring up the slam against oil and gas development. I live about an hour and a half from Yellowstone and off the top of my head I can't think of any 'oil and gas' development for at least 2 to 3 hours ne of Yellowstone and that'd be near Billings and central Wyoming. Not exactly bear habitat to begin with.

IV, I was expecting you! If the future biologists are like you, I am fine with the future!

I was going to ask for your two cents but was affraid we would get a $1.50!

How can the federal government prove the success of the endangered species act (or prove that it even works), if nothing is ever taken off the list?? Here is a prime example of a success story (like the bald eagle and peregrine falcon) and you would think they would be working hand over fist to get grizzly bears delisted ASAP and give the management back to Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana (heck, they were ready years ago if 500 bears is going to be considered their "baseline" population). There is definately no shortage of bears up in this part of the world. Unfortunately for some antihunting and bunny hugger groups, bears and wolves represent their only "sledgehammers" they have to affect USFS, NPS, and state policy. I'm sure even if the USFWS is commited to delising, the feds as well as the states are going to get sued by these groups several times.
I guess the delisting may start, but who knows when it will end...

MG

or more....

quote:

Originally posted by jstevens:
I have no misconceptions about this lower 48 grizzly hunting.

Neither do I....it probably won't happen in my lifetime. Frankly, the delisting would be a HUGE surprise to me. I have seen the pace at which the USFWS works when it comes to justifiably delisting a species and it is like trying to watch tree sap flow during a North Dakota winter. I am a little bitter, can you tell?

Best,

JohnTheGreek

p.s.

Just in case any of the officials handling my import permits are reading this, I am not directing this comment at you personally and you will continue to get cards from me every Christmas.

quote:

Originally posted by MontMike:
They always bring up the slam against oil and gas development. I live about an hour and a half from Yellowstone and off the top of my head I can't think of any 'oil and gas' development for at least 2 to 3 hours ne of Yellowstone and that'd be near Billings and central Wyoming. Not exactly bear habitat to begin with.

How far is Pinedale??? Heard of the planed gas development there? It's a doozy

Ivan, Pinedale is about 80 miles southeast of Jackson. For most people they could care less about all the ongoing and planned development in the Jonah and surrounding oil patches. They think that since that country is covered in sage brush it is essentially "expendable".

What they forget however, that tens of thousands of mule deer, tens of thousands of antelope and several thousand elk spend the winter here, and it is critical winter habitat for these animals. I have never heard of a grizzly bear being seen out in the sage, but the value of this piece of realestate for big game is priceless...unless you're an oilman and the black crude under the dirt is worth more than the critters running around above.

They have also done some drilling up the Gros Ventre just east of Grand Teton NP with no luck, but have planned for some more exploration.

MG

Beware! - when hunting in the Yellowstone region, several hunters have recently been mauled by the BIG bears. Although no humans were killed, the bears didn't do as well. The humans got chewed-up pretty bad. These BIG bears are very, very fast and attack unexpectedly. Hence, when hunting Yellowstone country, best to be on the look-out and armed to deal with an attack, especially a hunter with a downed animal.