Grizzly Bear Managers to Meet In Jackson

Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly bear managers plan to meet in Jackson, Wyo., to discuss what needs to be done to continue recovery. The Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee will meet Wednesday and Thursday, October 28 and 29, at the Snow King Resort in Jackson. The meeting will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday October 28. It will resume at 8 a.m. Thursday and conclude by noon. Both sessions are open to the public with time for public comments. The coordinating committee is made up of managers from the state and federal agencies responsible for the decades-long process to recover grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem from about 200 in 1983 to almost 600 today. That recovery led to the bear being removed from the endangered species list about two years ago. But a recent federal court ruling put the bear back on the list, and that has caused some uncertainty. Committee members are eager to meet to evaluate the status of the grizzly and to discuss how the group should once again move forward. To help coordinating committee managers develop the latest chapter in grizzly bear recovery in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, committee chairman Steve Schmidt, of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, has invited a set of speakers whose focus has been developing new strategies for recovering listed species. "Michael Scott and Dale Goble offer fresh insights into the management of at-risk species," Schmidt said. Gobel and Scott are scheduled to give their presentation entitled, "Conservation Reliant Species, Recovery Agreements and Management Funding," at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday October 28. "Hopefully their presentation will help give the (coordinating committee) managers a new way to look at approaching grizzly bear recovery in the Yellowstone Ecosystem," Schmidt said. Officials from coordinating committee member agencies will be giving presentations during the meeting regarding ongoing management activities. "Despite the threatened status of Yellowstone grizzlies, work continues by management agencies so that conflicts between bears and people and bears and livestock can be avoided, and bears can continue to thrive," Schmidt said. Individuals with special needs or requiring assistance may contact Gregg Losinski at 208-525-7290 or through the Idaho Relay Service at 1-800-377-3529 (TDD).