INTRODUCTION 



Process for Plan Development 



Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) developed this plan and programmatic environmental 

 impact statement (PEIS) through a series of meetings with affected agencies, governments, 

 interested persons, and groups. FWP initiated the scoping processes with discussion of potential 

 issues and alternatives with biologists, wardens, and representatives from Idaho and Wyoming 

 during the summer of 2000. Following those preliminary efforts, FWP held a series of 13 public 

 scoping meetings in southwestem Montana during September and October 2000 (Livingston, 

 Bozeman, Missoula, Big Sky, Big Timber, Dillon, Ennis, Butte, West Yellowstone, Billings, 

 Columbus, Gardiner, and Red Lodge). FWP solicited written comments throughout Fall 2000 

 through news releases, press interviews, and personal contacts. During these meetings, FWP 

 sought to identify issues likely to involve significant impacts and those issues not likely to 

 involve significant impacts, as well as to identify possible alternatives for grizzly bear 

 management. To flirther develop issues and ideas for possible alternatives, FWP held a meeting 

 in Bozeman consisting of the Governors' Roundtable members, and other invited interest groups 

 and individuals, on December 4-5, 2000. FWP invited the participation of those individuals and 

 groups that had expressed interest in additional participation as well as other affected agencies. 

 Following this meeting, a draft management plan was produced and resubmitted to a broader 

 group of interested parties including those who attended the December meeting. An additional 

 facilitated meeting was held in Bozeman April 30-May 1, 2001 to review and discuss approaches 

 presented in the preliminary draft plan with the purpose of fine tuning a draft. A meeting was 

 held on October 22, 2001, to further review the draft plan for release and formal public hearings. 

 All of the meetings were open to the public. A draft plan was released for public comment April 

 5, 2002. Formal public hearings were conducted through the same area of southwestem 

 Montana as previous scoping sessions (13 total). Public comment was also accepted in writing 

 for 90 days through July 5, 2002. All comments were used to assist in preparing the final plan. A 

 summary of comments and FWP response to them is available in Appendix AA. 



Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Goals For The Grizzly Bear 



FWP has statewide goals for wildlife resources. This plan more specifically deals with grizzly 

 bear resources in southwestem Montana. These goals are: 



1. To provide the people of Montana and visitors with optimum outdoor recreational 

 opportunities emphasizing the tangible and intangible values of wildlife and natural and 

 cultural resources of aesthetic, scenic, historic, scientific, and archaeological significance 

 in a manner that: 



a. Is consistent with the capabilities and requirements of the resources 



b. Recognizes present and future human needs and desires, and 



c. Ensures maintenance and enhancement of the quality of the environment 



2. Wildlife Program Goal -- To protect, perpetuate, enhance, and regulate the wise use of 

 wildlife resources for public benefit now and in the fiiture. 



3. Grizzly Bear Management Goal — To manage for a recovered grizzly bear population in 

 southwestem Montana and to provide for a continuing expansion of that population into 



