CHOTEAU, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Director Christy Clark today met with landowners in Choteau to discuss grizzly bear populations along the Rocky Mountain Front and underscore the state’s petition to delist the grizzly in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE).
“The recovery of the grizzly bear in the NCDE is a success story thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of Montanans over decades,” Gov. Gianforte said. “With the bear now recovered and its territory expanding to areas not seen in over a century, it’s time for the state to take over management of this iconic American species.”
Grizzly bears were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. At the time, the population of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states was estimated to be in the hundreds. Today the bear population in the NCDE alone is estimated at approximately 1,300.
As grizzly bear populations have increased in the NCDE, conflicts have increased with farmers, ranchers, recreationists, and residents.
“Larger grizzly population means increased odds of conflict, and Montana needs more tools to manage this species. If we don’t get those tools, our communities, families, farmers, ranchers, and recreationists will continue to bear the burden of federal regulation and having to worry about encounters,” the governor said.
“With a statewide management plan in place and our decades of on-the-ground experience, Montana is ready to take over management of grizzly bears. It’s time to get them delisted,” FWP Director Clark said.
Before the community event, the governor and director flew in an FWP helicopter to survey the Choteau area for bears. Flying over the Rocky Mountain Front, the group spotted a sow in the stream, within one hundred yards of grazing cattle.
Hearing from landowners at the city park in Choteau, the governor and director listened to growing concerns about grizzly bear activity in the community. Choteau resident John Long, a man who recently encountered a problem grizzly bear while foraging for mushrooms on his property, just two miles from the city park.
“She got out where she could see us, stood on her hind legs, dropped down, turned around and checked her cub. I thought, well here’s the part where she takes off. She didn’t do that,” Long said. “She started kind of trotting toward us. And at this point, she’s about 70 yards away, and she kind of comes inside that circle of 30 yards and lays her ears back and just coms up on us as fast as she could.”
John was one of nearly 50 community members who came to the park to hear from the governor, Director Clark, and USFWS and to share stories about close encounters with problem bears near their homes.
Joining the governor and director at the event was Josh W.D. Coursey, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A Wyoming native, Coursey was recently sworn into to serve as Senior Advisor to USFWS Director Brian Nesvik.
“I was sworn in May 1st, and I can tell you our highest priority is this issue right here. That’s why I took this job,” Coursey said.
In December 2021, Gov. Gianforte petitioned the federal government to delist the grizzly bear in the NCDE. The petition outlined that NCDE grizzly bears are within a distinct population, have far surpassed population recovery goals, and that FWP has the structure in place to successfully take over full management of this iconic native species.
FWP monitors grizzly bears in Montana with the best available science and a team of dedicated specialists. Although grizzly bears in the lower 48 states have remained under the jurisdiction of USFWS, much of the day-to-day management is done by FWP’s specialists who work with landowners and the public to address conflicts and increase safety and education in bear country.
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Office of the Governor
