Community Gathers to Discuss Grizzly Bear Management in Livingston
Livingston, MT – Approximately 50 community members convened at The 1900 event space on Main Street to engage in a discussion about grizzly bears, featuring a panel of experts including Evan Stout, Chris Servheen, Druska Kinkie, and Quentin Kujala. Moderated by Nick Mott, a journalist and host of "The Wide Open" on Montana Public Radio, the event focused on the current status and management strategies for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which has seen a significant population recovery from fewer than 250 bears in the 1970s to an estimated 1,000 today.
Mott emphasized the bears’ remarkable rebound, attributing their success to enhanced federal protections and the establishment of protected wilderness areas. However, as grizzly sightings increase in areas where they have not been seen for over a century, discussions surrounding coexistence have become increasingly pressing, particularly regarding public safety and livestock conflicts.
Panelists shared personal experiences, with Kinkie, a rancher from Paradise Valley, lamenting the challenges of protecting her livestock from grizzly predation, which she said threatens both her animals and her livelihood. Stout, an advocate for bear awareness, highlighted the role of Bear Aware Gardiner in promoting coexistence through education and outreach initiatives.
The topic of grizzly bear management was contentious, with Servheen advocating for a delisting from the Endangered Species Act while cautioning about the potential risks associated with political rather than scientific management decisions. Kujala noted that changing protections does not imply reduced oversight, indicating that the state is prepared to assume management responsibilities.
As the community grapples with the implications of grizzly bear recovery, the complexity of balancing wildlife conservation with human interests continues to challenge local stakeholders.
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Photo credit www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com
