There are and will continue to be places in this area where management is at a minimum 

 (wilderness areas, national parks), but our experience indicates there are areas where 

 active ongoing management will be required to provide for occupancy by bears. 



Early Warning System for Bad Food Years: People suggested that FWP implement an 

 early warning system for years when natural food supplies are low and the potential for 

 bear conflicts grow higher. While it is not always possible to predict how bears will 

 respond to changing environmental conditions, we agree that such a system is important 

 to implement when there is reasonable expectation that such conditions could exist. 

 Language was added to the Human Safety Section to reflect such an approach. 



Habitat Issue: Many comments were related to habitat management and the needs of 

 grizzly bears. Some people felt stronger habitat programs needed to be developed both 

 within and outside the Primary Conservation Area (PCA). The plan recognizes that 

 habitat management constraints are more detailed within the PCA as defined in the 

 Conservation Strategy developed in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

 However, there are specific recommendations for areas outside the PCA, and it is FWP's 

 intent to continue to refine necessary programs as grizzly bears expand. Hopefiilly, 

 FWP's knowledge of grizzly bear needs will increase as understanding of the needs of 

 those living with grizzlies grows. Together these should allow Montana to build a 

 successful program. This plan should assist FWP in reaching its goal to fiarther restore 

 the grizzly bear as a valuable wildlife resource and re-establish them as part of ongoing 

 wildlife management programs in Montana. While FWP feels the needs of the bear must 

 be addressed, it is also important to address the grizzly bear's needs in the context of the 

 communities and processes in place in southwestern Montana. There are certainly 

 significant issues affecting bears and other wildlife habitats both within and outside the 

 PCA. Ongoing increases in development and human populations will add to these 

 challenges. However, there are also large areas of currently unoccupied habitat or habitat 

 occupied at low levels, where FWP hopes to promote occupancy, as indicated in the plan 

 that will provide additional long-term security of the bear population. Clearly, a linchpin 

 of our State Plan is to find ways to integrate bears into the currently unoccupied habitat 

 without radically displacing or disrupting traditional human uses. We believe this 

 approach will build tolerance or even support for the grizzly bear, and provide for a 

 healthy bear population in Montana. This will be possible in spite of some site-specific 

 problems. In other words, FWP is aware of the threats that exist to currently occupied 

 habitats, and FWP intends to monitor and respond to those threats as indicated in the 

 plan. FWP also recognizes the opportunities that are, and will be. achieved with bears 

 occupying currently unoccupied areas. FWP also believes the conservative approaches 

 applied in the PCA will allow bears to continue to utilize and survive in that area into the 

 foreseeable future. 



Some comments suggested that FWP needs to have some ability to change and/or obtain 

 authority over federal programs/projects on federal lands. FWP does not anticipate such 

 authority will be given to Montana. FWP will continue to work with established 

 processes to input the needs of the bears and other wildlife through federal forest plan 



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