GBOP

Great news for Washington’s Wolves: Wildlife Commission Adopts Wolf Recovery Plan

Posted: by rose_oliver

Gray WolfOlympia, WA Dec 03, 2011

Today the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to approve a state conservation and management plan for the gray wolf.

Crafted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), with the help of a seventeen-member public stakeholder advisory group, the plan went through an extensive vetting process.  WDFW consulted outside agencies and wolf experts, and conducted a blind scientific peer review. They held two public comment periods and several workshops, receiving comments from over 65,000 people – mostly supporting wolf recovery. The final product, adopted by the commission today, presents a science-based approach that balances the legal and biological requirements of a recovery plan with the real needs for on-the-ground management tools and a fair compensation package for the small number of livestock producers who may face impacts.

Derrick Knowles, an avid hunter who works for wildlife group Conservation Northwest, participated as a member of the Wolf Working Group.   Knowles congratulated WDFW and the Commission for their foresight and leadership towards finalizing a state plan for wolves:

“While it isn’t any one special interest group’s perfect plan, it’s the right plan for Washington and I applaud the Fish and Wildlife Commission for their leadership today.”

“Throughout the process I worked closely with hunters, cattlemen, scientists and other conservationists and my experience as a working group member convinced me that we can work through most concerns and differences, and be better off for it.”

“I am really proud of the work everyone has done to get us to this point.  We all spent countless hours serving on the Wolf Working Group to help shape the plan in a way that addressed everyone’s needs.  There was a lot of compromise.”

Jasmine Minbashian, who directs Conservation Northwest’s wolf program is also pleased with the outcome:

 “There is clearly a lot of support for a balanced wolf recovery plan in Washington, despite opposition from a minority.  A majority of the wolf working group supported it – including other livestock groups and some hunters.  Finding the middle ground on what is a polarizing issue – I’d call it a big success.”

“We’ve learned lessons from the conflict over wolves in the Rockies.  We want Washington to be a state where wolf recovery works without the divisiveness found elsewhere in the West.  This plan gives us the best shot at that goal.”

 

Thankful That Washington is Wild!

Posted: by rose_oliver

On the heels of Thanksgiving and with more holidays just around the corner, now is a great time to remember what we are truly thankful for, like being thankful we live in a state wild enough for grizzly bears and wolves.

You see, grizzly bears and wolves are keystone species and, just like the keystone of an arch is crucial to the stability of an arch, they too play a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community. While the keystone is under the least pressure of any of the stones in an arch, the arch still collapses without it, just as an ecosystem will experience a dramatic shift if a keystone species is removed. Grizzly bears and wolves are also considered to be indicator species meaning that they serve as a barometer of an ecosystem’s health. And due to their large home ranges, protection of sufficient habitat for grizzly bears and wolves will benefit a countless number of other species making them also what are called umbrella species.  In short, these guys are really good for the health of Washington’s ecosystems, and what’s good for bears and wolves, like clean water, fresh air and healthy forests, is also good for people!                                                                         

Both grizzly bears and wolves once roamed the western states from Canada to the Baja peninsula, but were hunted for food and sport so extensively that by the 1930’s just a handful of grizzlies and no known breeding packs of wolves remained in Washington. But these two keystone species have begun calling Washington home again. The recent confirmed sighting of a grizzly bear in the North Cascades and the 5 confirmed packs of wolves that have now moved here from British Columbia, Idaho and Oregon, suggests that Washington is reclaiming some of its wild disposition. And, for that, I am thankful.

Yellowstone Grizzly Will Remain Federally Listed For Now

Posted: by colleen

Yesterday a federal appeals court ruled that the Yellowstone grizzly bear will not be removed from the federal endangered species list due to the bears’ reliance on the whitebark pine, a tree that has been declining in numbers from to beetle infestations.

Grizzly bears were given protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1975, at which time only about 136 grizzlies existed in the Greater Yellowstone Area.  After bringing number up to levels considered sustainable by the recovery plan, in 2007 the Fish and Wildlife Service removed federal protection.  A number of environmental organizations sued the government for delisting the bears at that time, stating that the decrease in whitebark pine creates a hardship for the bears and creates unsuitable habitat. 

Tuesday’s ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocks the federal government from turning management of grizzly bears over to the concerned states; Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.  In response to the court’s decision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator Chris Servheen states that the government with present the court with new evidence not available prior to the ruling. 

Today there are about 600 grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Area, and their numbers continue to rise.  With the higher number of bears in the area come higher numbers of bear-human encounters.  2011 had a higher than average number of grizzly-human conflicts, including 2 human deaths.  GBOP remains committed to educating communities about living safely with grizzly bears.  Please read more about grizzly bear identification, tips for coexistence, and safety.

Click here to read more about Tuesday’s ruling.

Help Pick our New Name!!!

Posted: by mark

Dear Friends,

Click here to take the (very short!) Name Change Survey now!

The Grizzly Bear Outreach Project needs your help selecting a new name for our organization.

Now that our educational outreach has expanded beyond grizzly bears and black bears to include cougars and wolves, we need an organizational name that reflects our new scope. Your input is very important to us to help us select the new name.

We are looking for an umbrella name, under which we can still maintain separate projects such as the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project, Cougar Outreach Project, etc.

In the linked survey we have listed several possibilities for you to rate. Note that there is also a box for you to add your own suggestions. We truly want to hear your ideas.

Please respond by Friday, November 18!!!

We will be announcing our new name in 2012. Thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey and helping us with this exciting next stage of our organization.

New Food Storage Orders Put in Place in the Selkirk Mountain Ecosystem

Posted: by tim

The Idaho Panhandle National Forest recently put into place a new Food Storage Order of the Priest Lake, Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry Ranger Districts. This Forest Service Order will deal with human food and pet food, garbage and bird seed, deer carcasses, fish entrails and anything else that might lure wildlife into trouble especially bears. This has been done to reduce conflicts and potential conflict between wildlife and humans. The Colville National Forest, which also manages lands within this ecosystem, has had a similar food storage order in place since 1987 when its forest plan was revised. The new food storage requirements are intended to be permanent, effective each year from April 1 through Dec. 1. The rules applying to the “front country,” such as around Priest Lake, have been encouraged for years. They include keeping food in a vehicle or hard-sided shelter when not being consumed at meals. The new rules specifically prohibit feeding wildlife and putting up bird feeders – liquid, suet or seed – in certain areas. Bear-resistant garbage containers will be required in designated areas and camp food and leftovers, such as bacon grease, must be hauled out and not buried on site. Within most other grizzly bear ecosystems, the National Forests and Parks have had similar rules for years. The conditions of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests new food storage order only pertain to activities on national forest system lands within this ecosystem.

For more information on this Food Storage Order visit the Idaho Panhandle National Forests website.