A telling of two views: Perspectives on grizzly relisting

Posted 9/24/09

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said grizzly bears must be placed back on the endangered species list.

“We are enjoined (forbidden by legal action) from removing the species from the list,” said Matt Kales, U.S. Fish and …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

A telling of two views: Perspectives on grizzly relisting

Posted

Federal and state agencies managing grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region believe removing the bruins from the endangered species list was warranted, despite a federal judge's order to list them again.But a local man disagrees.After becoming nearly extinct, the population was declared recovered in 2007 and removed from threatened status under the Endangered Species Act.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said grizzly bears must be placed back on the endangered species list.

“We are enjoined (forbidden by legal action) from removing the species from the list,” said Matt Kales, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman in Denver.

As for the agency's next step, that is classified, at least for now.

“The agency can't comment on the ruling because it's in active litigation,” Kales said.

He added that, when the service decides its course of action, it will inform the public.

Eric Keszler, Game and Fish Department public information officer in Cheyenne, said the department did not know what to expect prior to the judge's ruling.

“I can't say we were real surprised,” Keszler said.

One of Molloy's primary concerns in his decision was the plight of white bark pine tree. White bark pine cones contain seeds that grizzlies consume before hibernation.

But “removal (of grizzlies) from the endangered species is not going to change the status of white bark pines,” Keszler said.

Chuck Neal, a retired ecologist in Cody, spends a lot of his time with nature, checking out bears and their domain.

He said the white bark pine nut crop is good this year where there are live trees, but the embattled trees are dying off in groves due to the infestation of pine beetles.

Long ago, while many evergreens at lower elevations were developing defenses against beetles, white bark was safe in its high country sanctuaries because it was too cold for the beetles to claim a foothold in their bark.

Today, white bark has no built-in resistance and is falling prey to beetles that can survive the mild winters of late, Neal said.

He added that grizzlies can adapt to changing food sources as long as they have space to hunt and forage.

Neal describes the area in and around Yellowstone National Park as a grizzly island, stranded from other grizzlies.

They need bridges to other sub populations of grizzlies to maintain solid genetic connectivity, Neal said. “You just need this large area of occupied, contiguous habitat, and we have not recognized that.”

Neal is not pointing any fingers at Wyoming Game and Fish; he said political and livestock interests are calling the shots.

“It's all being driven by political constraints,” Neal said.

From the federal government end, Kales said the service's decision to delist was non-political. The former Bush administration did not exert pressure to remove the bears from threatened. The decision was based on science and best management practices, he said.

“This was not a political decision by any form, shape or means,” Kales said.

The Yellowstone area, measuring 9,200 square miles in northwest Wyoming, eastern Idaho and southwest Montana is home to more than 580 grizzlies, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's grizzly home page.

Neal said 500 to 600 grizzlies is not enough to maintain the grizzly's blood line. The current area is at carrying capacity now, but there is plenty of public land out there. That public land should be primarily for wildlife, not for livestock, Neal said.

“There is adequate habitat in Wyoming to maintain a recovered population,” Keszler said. “We don't have any concerns about genetic diversity in this population.”

Keszler said the department must manage grizzlies in areas that are suitable for grizzlies, but not in areas unsuitable to the bruins. If it is appropriate bear habitat, the chance of human or livestock conflict is lessened.

Grizzly bears could be hunted in Wyoming until 1972. Then, in 1975, grizzlies were declared threatened and placed under Endangered Species Act protection.

“We feel like it is time to get them delisted,” Keszler said.

Comments