‘Reconnect, repopulate, and recover’

SANDPOINT — Research, policy, and activism came together Thursday when a pair of grizzly bear researchers took the stage at Sandpoint High School’s auditorium and spoke to an audience of about 100 people. 

Missoula, Montana-based wildlife consultant Mike Bader and Priest River geospatial analyst Paul Sieracki gave a 45-minute presentation and fielded questions from the crowd. 

“They're great animals,” said Bader of grizzlies during the presentation. “They're just fascinating. To be feared, for sure, but they're generally pretty peaceful animals.”

Bader and Sieracki recently coauthored and independently published a technical report titled, “Spatiotemporal Dimensions of Grizzly Bear Recovery.” The report examines the many factors influencing grizzly bear populations in the U.S. Northern Rockies and explores the trajectory of their abundance. 

Centuries ago, grizzly bears inhabited much of the western U.S., including the Great Plains and the Southwest. Hunting and human impact drove down their abundance until a low point of fewer than 1,000 animals was reached in the late 20th century. 

Grizzlies were listed as a threatened species in 1975, and hunting was prohibited in the contiguous U.S. Today, about 2,000 grizzlies reside in the Lower 48 within the states of Montana, Wyoming, Washington, and Idaho. 

According to Bader, roads and development have created islands of suitable grizzly habitat.  

“The problem with that is they just can't be viable for very long as an isolated population,” explained Bader. 

He envisions a conservation initiative that will work to link the disparate ecosystems with protected areas like wildlife corridors and infrastructure like road crossings to promote genetic exchange and create a more robust grizzly population in the Northern Rockies. 

“Expanding and linking those core areas is a central aim of recovery,” said Bader. 

Recently, the state governments of Montana and Wyoming approached the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and requested for the agency to delist grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act, saying populations have surpassed recovery goals. 

Conservation groups have opposed the proposed move, citing the animals’ low rate of reproduction and limited habitat. 

“We're going backward in some ways,” Bader said during the presentation. “We don't have that many bears.” 

While opposing relaxation of protection measures, Bader recognizes the difficulties that come with living among grizzlies. 

“It can be challenging,” said Bader. When grizzlies enter an inhabited area, they’re often killed by authorities due to the threat they present. “The bears get used to humans’ food. They keep coming back,” Bader said. 

To minimize this risk, Bader recommended homeowners take steps toward bearproofing their properties like securing garbage containers and installing electrified fences around chicken coops. 

In addition to playing a role in the ecosystems of the Northern Rockies, grizzlies can act as a barometer for environmental wellness. 

“They're indicator species, because they have the lowest reproductive rate of any North American mammal,” said Bader. 

Studying grizzlies can yield far-reaching insights about the status of wild animals and wilderness. 

“They're a very wide-ranging species, and so we call them an umbrella species,” Bader said of grizzlies. 

“If you protect the habitat for the grizzly, you're protecting all kinds of other animals under that umbrella.”