During the timeframe of this plan (10 years), grizzly bear expansion and population increase is initially 

 expected to occur on lands in and/or adjacent to the recovery zones. Accordingly, FWP will focus its 

 grizzly bear habitat management programs in areas that are adjacent to, and being reoccupied from the 

 recovery zones within the NCDE and CYE. FWP will also begin to evaluate other areas that may be 

 occupied with the ongoing expansion of the grizzly bear population and evaluate them for needed 

 habitat conservation programs. 



Habitat Security and Motorized Access 



> FWP and cooperaHng agencies (e.g. USPS) will monitor and report on the cumulative effects of 

 human activities on bear habitat, road access management, large scale habitat alterations, habitat 

 easements and acquisitions, and significant Federal, State, and corporate acHvities as part of our 

 program. 



> Outside the recovery zones, FWP will recommend that land-management agencies manage for an 

 open-road density of one mile or less per square mile of habitat. This is consistent with statewide 

 approaches to management of multiple species, including elk. 



> FWP will support keeping existing inventoried roadless areas in a roadless state and work with local 

 groups and land managers to identify areas where roads could be reclaimed. 



> FWP will work with the Montana Department of Transportation to address wildlife crossing needs 

 on their projects. An MOU or other agreement may be developed to provide guidelines to enhance 

 the ability of bears and other wildlife to cross roads. 



The historic distribution of grizzly bears depicts a species with wide adaptive flexibility' to the habitats it 

 resided in. Without the influence of humans, the distribution and productivity of grizzly bears would 

 likely be determined by the availability of food resources and the density of bears. This is not the present 

 case; humans and bears interact at many different levels across the landscapes. As a consequence, it is 

 necessary to continually monitor habitat values important to grizzly bears in addition to monitoring 

 population parameters. 



Radio telemetry studies have idenhfied roads as significant factors in displacement, mortality risk and 

 habitat fragmentation. For example, areas of adult female displacement by roads and development 

 totaled about 16% of available habitat in Yellowstone National Park. Moreover, the percentage of habitat 

 loss as a consequence of behavioral displacement from roads is a function of road density. The 

 percentage is higher in areas having higher road density regardless of the distance at which roads affect 

 bear behavior. In addition, bears living near roads also face a higher probability of human-caused 

 mortality as a consequence of illegal shooting, control actions influenced by attraction to unnatural food 

 sources, or by being mistakenly identified as a black bear by hunters. 



Within the recovery zones, FWP will work with the USFWS through development of a conservaHon 

 strategy to determine access constraints and requirements that need to be maintained. In addition, 

 outside the recovery zones on public lands, FWP will seek to maintain road densihes of 1 mile or less per 

 square mile of habitat as the preferred approach. This goal seeks to meet the needs of a variety of 

 wildlife, including species such as elk, while maintaining reasonable public access. If additional 

 management is warranted based on knowledge gained as bears reoccupy areas, it should be developed 

 cooperatively and implemented by local groups as suggested in this plan. 



Motorized access also plays a significant role in limiting grizzly bear habitat use. The distance at which 

 bears appear to be displaced by roads varies by area and season. Correspondingly, the impact of roads 



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