Development of this plan is further guided by utilizing the success of the Yellowstone Recovery effort 

 and management plan for southwestern Montana. Among the key recommendations in that plan was 

 support for continued joint federal and state management of the proposed Primary Conservation Area 

 (PCA) as a secure "core" area for grizzlv bears within the Yellowstone Ecosystem. TTie southwestern 

 Montana plan also recommended that the state develop a management plan for the area outside the PCA 

 to: 



1. Ensure the long-term viability of bears and avoid the need to re-list the species under the 

 Endangered Species Act. 



2. Support expansion of grizzly bears beyond the PCA in areas that are biologically suitable and 

 socially acceptable. 



3. Manage the grizzly bear as a game animal including allowing regulated hunting, when and 

 where appropriate. 



A similar course is being recommended for western Montana. Thus, Montana's approach to managing 

 grizzly bears will be outlined in two region specific documents. In the future, however, FWP intends to 

 incorporate both the southwestern and western grizzly bear management plans into one inclusive plan. 

 This will provide a document that addresses grizzly bear management across the entire western portion 

 of the State. 



Purpose and Need 



Grizzly bear management in Montana is being addressed within the framework of the Montana 

 Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and its regulations. MEPA is patterned after the National 

 Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and throughout the process of plan development FWP has 

 attempted to follow the intent of this national statute. 



As this grizzly bear program has the potential to impact the human environment, in keeping with MEPA 

 guidelines, FWP has prepared a programmatic review that addresses the impacts of the proposed actions. 

 Throughout the process, FWP also evaluated the significance of impacts as a result of these proposed 

 actions as required in Section 12.2.431. of the Administrative Rules of Montana. Potential impacts could 

 be adverse, beneficial or both, in terms of their impact on the quality of human environment. These 

 impacts were addressed by following established guidelines, which require us to address such factors as 

 the severity, duration, geographic extent and frequency of occurrence of any impacts. In addition, the 

 plan addresses the probabilities that impacts will occur and any affects of such impacts on economic 

 growth in Montana. FWP also addressed the cumulative nature of these impacts and the importance of 

 this program on the state and society. It is recognized that these programs are a compilation of 

 department efforts as well as other state, local and federal programs and their statutory requirements. As 

 such, some of the impacts are not directly attributable to department programs; however, they are 

 included in the document for completeness. 



This plan and draft programmatic impact statement deals directly with the portion of western Montana 

 that encompasses the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE), the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem 

 (CYE), the Bitterroot Ecosystem and adjacent lands in western Montana. The proposed action of this 

 document is to create and adapt a management program for the entire area of western and northwestern 

 Montana. 



