Direction is also provided in the Mission MountaiM Tribal Wilderness Management Plan and the Buffer Zone 

 Management Plan. Although guidelines are similar to those outlined in the Grizzly Bear Management 

 Plan, special management consideration within the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness is also 

 provided by the following: 



Special Grizzly Bear Management Zone - established in 1982, surrounding McDonald Peak and 

 Ashley Lakes drainage. Each year the entire area is closed to human use from July 15 (earlier if the 

 situation warrants it) to October 1 (later if the situation warrants it) to both minimize disturbance to 

 bears, and to provide for the safety of people. 



Ashley Lakes Day Use Area - located within the Special Grizzly Bear Management Zone, is restricted 

 to day use only when the area is open to recreational use (when the Grizzly Bear Closure is in effect, 

 this area is also closed). 



Spring Stock Use Closure - since 1989 the entire Tribal Wilderness area is closed to all livestock use 

 (including pack and riding stock) from March 1 through June 30. 



Through a variety of funding sources, the Tribes are also actively purchasing important bear habitat 

 along the Mission Mountain Front and valley bottom. To date, the Tribes have purchased or protected 

 close to 2,000 acres of occupied and usable habitat. Over 1,000 acres are being managed specifically for 

 wildlife habitat values. 



5. Federal Lands 



5.1 National Parks (NP) 



Glacier National Park (GNP) is the only national park located within the geographic range of this 

 management plan. The National Parks Service's Resource Management Plan (1994) instructs National Park 

 managers to "perpetuate and prevent from harm (through human actions) wildlife populations as part of 

 the natural ecosystem of parks" while GNPs Geiieral Management Plan (GMP), completed in 1994, sets the 

 general management philosophy and direction for the next 20 years. The GMP sets management zones 

 that reflect the grizzly bear management situations as defined in the Recovery Plan. For example the 

 Visitor Services Zone in Glacier GMP sets out the same parameters as those for Situation 3 in the 



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