Would restrictions be placed on black bear hunting in the Bitterroot Ecosystem?
Black bears are hunted in Montana and Idaho under state regulations. In Montana, use of dogs for hunting bears was prohibited in 1921 and baiting of bears was canceled in 1948. In central Idaho, baiting of black bears and pursuing black bears with hounds in wilderness areas could be evaluated by the CMC to assure that these activities do not hinder grizzly bear recovery. Would grizzly bear recovery in the Bitterroot Ecosystem affect current land-uses such as timber harvest and mining? Reintroduction of a nonessential experimental population of grizzly bears into the Bitterroot Ecosystem is not expected to impact land uses, including timber harvest and minerals extraction activities, as long as they meet the existing standards and guidelines of the USDA Forest Service Forest Plans. Minerals extraction would likely not be altered due to grizzly bear concerns alone. Would grizzly bears in the Bitterroot Ecosystem kill livestock and how many? Livestock grazing, although presently either no
