Yellowstone Ecosystem Managers to Meet In Jackson, Wyoming to Discuss Grizzly Bears

IDAHO FALLS - The Yellowstone Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Subcommittee (YES) will hold its fall 2001 meeting on December 4 and 5 in Jackson, Wyoming at the Wort Hotel. YES is composed of representatives from the state and federal agencies responsible for recovery and management of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population. YES is a subcommittee of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC), which has responsibility for all grizzly bear recovery areas in the lower 48 United States. YES meets semi-annually to exchange information, to address important recovery and management topics and to plan and implement the population recovery process. As the Yellowstone grizzly bear population proceeds toward recovery, increasing in both numbers and distribution, the status of this population and its interactions with local communities becomes more important to citizens and local governments in the area. A panel of citizens appointed by Governor Kempthorne recently drafted a proposal for how de-listed grizzly bears would be managed in Eastern Idaho. This proposed plan is currently working its way through the public comment process and will eventually go to the Idaho State Legislature this winter. As part of expanding understanding regarding the future of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, YES has invited the county commissioners from all the counties in the three states that are known to have grizzly bears present at some time of the year. In Idaho, copies of the plan for future grizzly bear management will be available for review at the county commissioners offices for those counties located adjacent to the Yellowstone Ecosystem. These meetings are also opportunities for dialog with subcommittee members and a public comment segment concludes each day's business.