Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 1 9 28 Service provides key oversight and law enforcement capability, while also protecting the broader national public interest. But the states provide an irreplaceable on-the-ground pres- ence along with skills in coexistence techniques. e contribu- tions of state personnel such as Jamie Jonkel and Tim Manley cannot be overestimated. ey know both bears and people— and have the right personalities (as well as a bag of tricks) to transform problematic situations in seemingly magical ways. We need more people like them at the state and local levels. But they cannot effectively operate in a vacuum of resources and constraints, which is what the Fish and Wildlife Service provides through the ESA. IMAGINE FOR US IN WHAT WAYS MIGHT NEW SCIENCE APPLICA- TIONS AND TECHNOLOGY INTERACT WITH GRIZZLY POPULATIONS IN THE TIME FRAME WE ARE DISCUSSING? Successful coexistence work in places such as the Black- foot, Madison, and Big Hole Valleys give us a preview of how technology, combined with community commitment, can improve grizzly bear management. Solar-powered compost systems for livestock carcasses, along with a program of prompt carcass removal has helped dramatically reduce conflicts in the Blackfoot. You are speaking of advances in the next 30 years, but 30 years ago, I did not anticipate widespread use of bear pepper spray, which has proven to be an incredibly effective deterrent in close encounter situations. What will the next advance be? IF YOU WERE TOTALLY IN CHARGE OF GRIZZLY POPULATIONS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS? I would start by engaging new generations in a conversation about why grizzly bears matter. We can talk about how they are barometers for the health of our ecosystems, their eco- nomic benefits to communities around Glacier and Yellow- stone, or their value to us spiritually and aesthetically, but each generation needs to decide for itself whether or not grizzlies are worth saving. Because of grizzlies' low reproductive rates, low densities and other inherent vulnerabilities, meaningful recovery entails a serious and ongoing commitment. Even after 40+ years of ESA protections, we have only perhaps increased the number of grizzlies in the lower-48 states by half-again more than what we had in 1975. And griz- zlies still remain at roughly 3% of their former numbers when Europeans first began to settle the West. If future generations don't pay attention and don't care, all of our gains could be reversed, and grizzlies could be relegated to literal and figura- tive zoos. THERE IS A SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS THAT LONG-TERM RECOVERY WILL ONLY BE ENSURED WHEN OUR ISOLATED OR SEMI-ISOLATED POPULATIONS ARE RECONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER AND TO MORE ROBUST POPULATIONS FARTHER NORTH IN CANADA.

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