> FWP will respond to conflicts within 12 hours with at least an initial contact by 

 telephone or in person if possible and in cooperation with Wildlife Services. 



An alternative suggested and considered was to force livestock operators to absorb losses 

 that occurred on public lands no matter what the cost. However, in FWP's judgment, this 

 approach fails to recognize the significant contribution of private lands, which provide 

 important bear conservation benefits. In fact, in many portions of the GYE these same 

 private lands are critical to the survival of the bear and to accommodating an expanded 

 distribution of the population. If a permittee could not manage depredation risks on 

 public lands, the converse is allowing them to eliminate risks (meaning bears) on their 

 private lands. This either/or approach is not a productive solution to these problems. 

 Additionally, this approach actually significantly conflicts with the FWP objective of 

 building public support necessary for expansion and long-term survival of bear 

 populations. 



Property Damage 



Bears can and will on occasion damage personal property other than livestock. They can 

 enter buildings, chew on snowmobile seats, tear down fruit trees, and so on. Bears are 

 highly attracted to almost any potential food source. Processed human food, gardens, 

 garbage, livestock and pet feeds, livestock carcasses, and septic treatment systems are 

 particularly attractive to bears near camps and residential areas, and are often the cause of 

 human-bear conflicts. The preferred approach to address these issues is: 



> FWP will focus on preventive measures, including the elimination of attractants, and 

 better sanitation measures; the agency's bear management specialist will work on 

 these issues on public and private lands. 



> FWP will seek funding to continue the grizzly bear management specialist position 

 currently stationed in Bozeman and evaluate the need for an additional position 

 stationed in Region 5. 



> FWP will respond to conflicts within 12 hours by phone or in person if possible. 



> FWP will summarize efforts annually. 



An alternative considered was to keep bears and people apart. However, in FWP's 

 judgment, this approach will fail because bear distribution and densities would have to be 

 so low that it would preclude the objective of maintaining a healthy bear population. 



Nuisance Guidelines 



Conflicts are currently increasing as the bear population continues to increase in numbers 

 and distribution although they can vary greatly on an annual basis. Considering how 

 many people live, work, and recreate in southwestern Montana, it is important to note 

 there have been minimal conflicts overall. However, nuisance or "problem" bears that 

 are not managed successfully may threaten the entire grizzly bear program. To address 

 this need, the following are part of the preferred approach: 



