Burlington Northern - Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) 



In cooperation with GNESA, the BNSF has implemented an operating protocol that includes several 

 railroad operation and maintenance procedures intended to minimize grizzly bear/train collisions and 

 ensure a rapid response and removal of attractants from the railroad right-of-way. In addition to the 

 protocol, the GNESA agreement includes the provision for developing a $1 million conservation trust 

 fund for the purpose of assisting GNESA cooperators in implementing a variety of grizzly bear 

 conservation activities in the Middle Fork Flathead River corridor. 



The BNSF, in consultation with the USFWS, is also preparing a Habitat ConservaHon Plan (HCP) and a 

 draft Environmental Assessment (EA) which will (i) clarify activities associated with the operation and 

 maintenance of the railroad which may affect grizzly bears (ii) evaluate other factors that contribute to 

 human caused mortality of bears in the corridor (iii) evaluate alternative strategies to minimize the effects 

 of railroad operations on grizzly bears and (iv) develop an adaptive management framework for grizzly 

 bear conservation in the corridor. BNSF anticipates that the HCP will update and build upon the GNESA 

 existing agreement and will incorporate active adaptive management features, with an emphasis on 

 documenting all human-caused grizzly bear mortality in the corridor, evaluating factors that contribute 

 to each mortality, and evaluating methods to reduce the potential for human-caused mortality. 



3. State Lands 



3.1 Montana, Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) 



The Administrative Rules of Montana (ARMs), Grizzly Bear Policy (MCA 12.9.103) outlines guidelines for 

 Montana FWP to promote the conservation of grizzly bears within the State. With specific reference to 

 habitat, the department will work to perpetuate and manage grizzly bear in suitable habitats for the 

 welfare of the bear and the enjoyment of the people of Montana and the nation. 



In addition to legislated ARMs, the Interagency Rocky Mountain Front Wildlife Monitoring/Evaluation 

 Program Management Guidelines for Selected Species (1987) provides guidelines for managing grizzly bears 

 along the eastern front of the Continental Divide. These deal with mitigating the influences of human 

 activities on grizzly bears and grizzlv bear habitat through area use restrictions, maintenance of cover 

 adjacent to roads to providing security cover, planning and coordination of commercial activities on 

 public lands and livestock restrictions. The Rocky Mountain Front Guidelines (RMFG) represent best 

 management practices for coordinating multiple use activities within the grizzly bear management 

 situations delineated on the Front. The RMFG are detailed coordination measures for specitic activities 

 that will assist land managers in meeting the management direction provided in the IGBG. They are 

 consistent with the IGBG and further retine the IGBG to specific habitat conditions on the Front. 

 Specifically, the habitat guidelines address seasonal use periods and locations of use for human activity; 

 timing and location of helicopter use; scheduling and location of seismic and drilling activities; 

 stipulations on cover density; timing of livestock grazing. A summary of these guidelines are provided 

 below (overpage). 



The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Rocky Mountain Front Grizzly Bear Management Program 

 (1988) provides further direction by outlining and addressing local management plans for the Rocky 

 Mountain Front. It includes goals and strategies that support those outlined in the Grizzly Bear Recovery 

 Plan (USFWS, 1993) while meeting the objectives of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 

 for Northwestern Montana (MTFWP, 1986). Included in the framework are strategy directives for 

 dealing with human/bear conflicts, population and habitat management and program evaluations. 



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