Montana's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council Begins Work

Montana Public Radio | By Corin Cates-Carney

Published October 4, 2019 at 5:38 PM MDT

This story will be updated.

Montana’s newly formed Grizzly Bear Advisory Council met for the first time in East Helena Thursday. The group is looking to find common ground on ways Montanans can coexist with grizzly bears.

The first meeting of the council focused on laying a broad groundwork to confront the much debated issue of what to do as grizzly bear populations expand.

"Where do we think grizzly bears belong in the state,” Martha Williams, director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks asked the council.

Williams spoke to the 18-member council made up of conservation group leaders, outdoor industry professionals and ranchers.

Gov. Steve Bullock created the council through an executive order in July, asking them to come up with recommendations on the management of grizzly bears in Montana, "particularly those issues on which there is significant social disagreement."

Again, FWP’s Williams.

"What does it mean for people living with grizzly bears where they haven’t been for decades and even longer for some people? How do we help them? What does that mean? We even recognize that there is a component of, how do we address hunting? Let’s not just kind of sweep that under the rug."

The council plans to hold public meetings in Bozeman and Missoula before the end of the year. More public input meetings are expected around the state in early 2020.

The Montana Grizzly Bear Advisory Council draft policy recommendations to the governor are expected before next summer.

Gov. Bullock was scheduled to give opening remarks at the council meeting Thursday, but a representative from his office appeared on his behalf. Bullock’s presidential campaign was scheduled to be out of state.