Seeley Lake, Montana - Members of the Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee were honored recently for their role in grizzly bear recovery as part of 25th anniversary celebration of Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.
The grizzly bear was listed as a threatened species in 1975, in 1983 the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee was created to help coordinate recovery efforts in the lower 48 states and adjoining parts of Canada. The committee as made up of all the member agencies that were responsible for all facets of the recovery of the great bear in the five identified ecosystems.
The bears of the Yellowstone ecosystem were recognized as the jewels in the crown of potential for recovery and delisting. As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the committee presented awards to professionals at all levels and fields of expertise who helped make the recovery and delisting of the grizzly in the Yellowstone ecosystem possible.
While the recovery and delisting of the Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly bears was made possible by the combined efforts of thousands of individuals and dozens of government organizations and private conservation groups, the following individuals were selected for special recognition from nominations made by their peers who were involved in these efforts.
Managerial Leadership - Managerial Excellence:
- Larry Timchak - Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest
- Jerry Reese - Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, retired
On-the-Ground Leadership:
- Mark Orme - Biologist, Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Communications Leadership - Practitioner / Communications Expert:
- Gregg Losinski - Conservation educator, Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Other individuals to receive similar recognition included such ground breaking biologists and leaders as Frank and John Craighead, Chuck Jonkel, Dick Knight, Chuck Schwartz, and Chris Servheen.
Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Chairman Jay Slack, deputy regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6, presided over the ceremony.
For more information about the committee, grizzly bear conservation or how to safely live in bear country, visit the committee's Website at
www.igbconline.org.
