Funding: Some commented that FWP would need to secure funding to replace Sec. 6 

 funding (from the Endangered Species Act) that would be lost if the bear was delisted. 

 Sec. 6 funding for bear management in southwestern Montana has been minor in terms of 

 the overall program cost (Sec. 6 is generally less than $20,000 while the current program 

 costs $243,000 per year). While all funding is important, FWP anticipates and will 

 actively pursue other opportunities from other programs to make up these dollars (such as 

 what was proposed in the Conservation and Reinvestment Act). 



Specific targets: Comments indicate some people want more specificity and certain 

 targets which will precipitate certain management responses. FWP would petition to 

 relist the species if the population were to fall below 300 bears within the Greater 

 Yellowstone Area. In addition, mortality management would become more conservative 

 than recommended if the population fell below 400 individuals (the level necessary to 

 address genetic concerns). Generally, however, bear populations, like all other wildlife, 

 change in response to many environmental factors. FWP will use ongoing information to 

 adapt programs. These programs will be more conservative if populations drop and more 

 flexible at higher levels. As always, any changes in management will be open to public 

 review. 



FWP acknowledges that the plan contains a lack of specificity on some issues. Reasons 

 for this are that grizzly bear management programs, and other programs, which 

 potentially affect bears, are continually being adjusted as we gain new information and 

 experience. In addition, as bears reoccupy habitats FWP will have to learn about how the 

 bears use different food sources, adjust movement patterns, create conflicts, and more. 

 FWP will need to adjust programs accordingly. Also, some aspects of management need 

 to remain flexible. The narrative provided in the plan provides a picture of FWP's intent 

 in these cases. FWP will continue to follow a comprehensive, collaborative process in 

 the future to add specificity on things such as population monitoring, trend, mortality 

 management, and more as the plan is implemented. 



Value of Grizzly Bears to the Tourism Industry: Commentors expressed the view that 

 grizzly bears are very important to Montana's tourism industry. Grizzly bears are used in 

 Montana advertising and promotions which results in many visitors arriving with the 

 hopes of viewing a bear. We recognize they grizzly bear's value to tourism, and the plan 

 should allow these benefits to continue and even expand by providing for a healthy bear 

 population. 



Nuisance Bears/Reporting Damage: There was a concern expressed by some that some 

 of the definitions and/or approaches to dealing with these issues were too vague or left 

 open to too much interpretation. It is very difficult to anticipate every potential type of 

 conflict that could occur. A review of FWP's current approaches to grizzly-bear related 

 problems in Montana indicates conflicts are very conservatively addressed. FWP makes 

 every effort to avoid unnecessarily removing bears from the population. The plan 

 recommends that these types of approaches continue. However, with expanding numbers 

 and distribution of bears, some animals will have to be removed when conflicts develop. 



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