Governor’s Grizzly Bear Advisory Council to Meet in Missoula
By angelamontana

Posted: November 28, 2019

HELENA, MT —The Governor’s Grizzly Bear Advisory Council is meeting in Missoula next week for its third meeting.

The advisory council, made up of 18 citizens from across Montana, will gather Dec. 4-5 at the University of Montana, University Center Room 330. The meeting starts at 8 a.m. both days. The meetings are open to the public and opportunities for public engagement will be available both days. The public can also provide input to council members online at fwp.mt.gov/gbac.

Through its first two meetings since October, the council has reviewed the history of grizzly bear recovery and conservation in Montana, interagency management efforts, legal considerations, and grizzly bear distribution. Presentations have focused on the current state of grizzly bear populations across the state and the core questions and considerations that wildlife managers and others face as these populations continue to expand in Montana, including into some areas that they have not occupied for decades.

At next week’s meeting in Missoula, the council will review grizzly bear conflict prevention and interagency responses, tribal management, the Endangered Species Act, and education and outreach efforts.

The council is slated to convene five more times over the next seven months at locations to be determined across Montana.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has tasked the diverse group with producing a final report with discrete, actionable recommendations that provide clear and meaningful guidance to the Governor’s Office, the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and other entities with responsibility for grizzly bear management and conservation in Montana.

“The purpose of the Council is to develop recommendations for fundamental guidance and direction on key issues and challenges related to the conservation and management of grizzly bears in Montana, particularly those issues on which there is significant social disagreement,” Bullock stated in his executive order.

For more information on the council, visit fwp.mt.gov/gbac.

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Media Contacts:

Marissa Perry, Communications Director, Governor’s Office, (406) 444-4514

Vivaca Crowser, Regional Information and Education Program Manager, FWP, (406) 542-5518

Dillon Tabish, Regional Information and Education Program Manager, FWP, (406) 751-4564

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