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

 >• FWP will summarize efforts annually. 



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. 



FWP will work to identify potential sources of attractants and will work with private property 

 owners, recreationists, and government agencies to reduce the source of attractant with long-term 

 resolution being emphasized and making attractants inaccessible to bears. When the attractant 

 cannot be eliminated, FWP will provide technical assistance to protect the property and to reduce 

 the potential for human-bear conflicts. Techniques to prevent damage may include aversive 

 conditioning, physical protection (i.e., electric fencing), relocating or removing offending 

 animals, and deterrent devices. FWP will continue to encourage the development of effective 

 non-lethal damage management techniques and equipment. FWP will cooperate with city, 

 county, state, and federal governments to develop model systems of managing attractants, 

 provide incentives for property attractant management, and pursue penalties that result in 

 compliance with food storage regulations. 



In FWP's judgment, the key to dealing with this issue is the same as all nuisance situations in that 

 prevention is better than responding after damage has occurred. Teaching people how to avoid 

 problems is key to this approach along with rapid response if damage does occur. FWP will 

 work to keep bears from obtaining unnatural foods or becoming habituated to humans. In 

 general, the nuisance guidelines fi-om the PCA will be followed. FWP response to property 

 damage will also include those techniques currently employed through the Partners for Life 

 program including the use of Karelian bear dogs and on-site aversive conditioning. 



FWP will use program such as "Living With Wildlife" to fiarther these goals. Living With 

 Wildlife is a grant program developed by FWP and funded by the Montana Legislature to 

 promote the successful coexistence of people and wildlife in urban and suburban settings. 

 Living With Wildlife will ftind projects that emphasize local involvement, partnerships, cost 

 sharing, innovation, prevention, and proactive solutions to human/wildlife conflicts. Although 

 FWP administers Living With Wildlife, other agencies, local governments, non-governmental 

 organizations, and private citizens will develop and implement most fianded projects. 



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

 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 



> FWP will focus immediate action in areas already occupied by grizzly bears, i.e., 

 Absaroka/Beartooth, Gallatin, Madison, and Gravelly Mountain ranges. 



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