GrizzlybearrecoveryanddelistingintheGreaterYellowstoneEcosystem

AsummaryoftheproposedruletodelisttheGYEgrizzlybearpopula8on

Summaryoftheproposedaction•  We(USFish&WildlifeService)areproposingtodelisttheGreaterYellowstoneEcosystem(GYE)populationofgrizzlybears.

•  Upondelisting,asperthedelistingrule,thepopulationwillbemanagedunderacomprehensivemanagementplancalledthe2016GrizzlyBearConservationStrategybyajointcommitteeincludingtheStatesofWyoming,Montana,andIdaho,theForestService,theNationalParkService,andtheEasternShoshone,NorthernArapahoe,andShoshoneBannockTribes.

•  Concurrentwiththisproposeddelistingrulewereleaseddraftsofthe2016GrizzlyBearConservationStrategyandtheRecoveryPlanSupplement:RevisedDemographicCriteriaforpubliccommentandpeerreview.

Publiccommentsrequested

•  Wearerequestingpubliccommentson3documents:–  Theproposeddelistingrule–  Thedraft2016ConservationStrategy–  ThedraftsupplementtotheRecoveryPlanproposedreviseddemographicrecoverycriteria

•  Directionsonhowtocommentonlineorinwritingaredetailedintheproposeddelistingrulewhichcanbefoundat:http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/grizzlyBear.php

Whatistheobjective?

•  TogettheGYEgrizzlybearpopulationrecoveredanddelistedasperthedirectionoftheEndangeredSpeciesAct.

•  ThisrequiresabiologicallyandlegallydefensibleproposeddelistingruleandConservationStrategy.

WhydelisttheYellowstonegrizzlybear?

•  ThepurposeoftheEndangeredSpeciesAct(Act)istogetlistedspeciestothepointatwhichprotectionundertheActisnolongerrequired.

•  RecoverygoalsfortheGreaterYellowstoneEcosystem(GYE)havebeenmetsince2004.

•  TheGYEgrizzlybearpopulationishealthyandhasbeenessentiallystablefrom2002to2015.

•  Cooperativeeffortsbystate,federal,andtribalagenciesandthesupportofthepublichaveresultedinahealthygrizzlypopulation.

•  TheabovefactorshavebroughttheGYEgrizzlybearpopulationtothepointwhereachangeinstatusisappropriateaspertheintentoftheAct.

ConservationReliantSpecies•  Grizzlybearsarea“conservationreliantspecies1”.•  Aconservationreliantspeciesisde8inedas:“Speciesthatcanmaintainaself-sustainingpopulationinthewildonlyifongoingmanagementactionsofproveneffectivenessareimplemented”.

•  Thisisnotunusual.Mostvaluedanimalspecies(e.g.moose,mountaingoats,bighornsheep,trout,salmon,rhinos,etc.)aredependentuponongoingconservationmanagement.

•  TheConservationStrategyshouldprovidetheongoingmanagementactionsofproveneffectivenesstomaintainarecoveredGYEgrizzlypopulation.

1Sco=,J.M.,D.D.Goble,J.A.Wiens,D.S.Wilcove,M.Bean,andT.Male.2005.RecoveryofimperiledspeciesundertheEndangeredSpeciesAct:theneedforanewapproach.Fron8ersinEcologyandtheEnvironment3:383-389.

WhatisthepurposeoftheConservationStrategy?

•  TheConservationStrategyisthepost-delistinginteragencymanagementplanthatwillbeinplaceinperpetuitytoguideanddirecthabitatandpopulationmanagementinordertomaintainarecoveredGYEgrizzlypopulation.

•  TheConservationStrategygoesintoeffectupondelistingandwillguideanddirectmanagementinperpetuity.

Thegrizzlyrecoveryzones.ThisproposeddelistingactiononlywilleffecttheGreaterYellowstoneEcosystem.Allothergrizzlypopulationswillremainlistedasthreatened.

Grizzlybeardistribu8onintheGYEasof

2014.

WilltheYellowstonegrizzlybearstillbeprotected?

•  Yes.TherewillcontinuetobestrictlimitsontotalmortalityfromallcausesinsidetheDMA,statelawsagainstillegalkilling,andstronghabitatprotectionsonfederallandsinthe9,200sq.mi.primaryconservationareawhereapproximately75%offemaleswithcubsliveformostoftheyear.

•  MANAGEMENTDECISIONSWILLBEGUIDEDBYREGULATORYMECHANISMSINCLUDING:–  THECONSERVATIONSTRATEGY–  NATIONALPARKSERVICEMANAGEMENTPLANS–  USFSFORESTPLANAMENDMENTS–  STATEGRIZZLYBEARMANAGEMENTPLANS–  OVER70STATEANDFEDERALLAWS,STATUTES,ANDREGULATIONS

WhathabitatprotectionswilltherebeINSIDEtheprimaryconservationarea

(PCA)?•  Withinthe9,200sq.mi.primaryconservationarea(PCA),whereapproximately75%offemaleswithcubsliveformuchoftheyear,therewillbe:– Noincreaseinnumberorcapacityoflivestockallotments

– Noreductionsinsecurehabitat– Nopermanentincreasesinroaddensities– Noincreaseinthenumberofdevelopedsites

WhathabitatprotectionswillbeinplaceforsuitablehabitatOUTSIDEofthePCA?

•  TheForestServicewillmanagethevastmajorityofsuitablehabitatoutsidethePCA(4.2millionacres).

•  Ofthis4.2millionacres,80%(3.3millionacres)isDesignatedWildernessArea,WildernessStudyArea,orInventoriedRoadlessArea.Thesedesignationsprovideregulatorymechanismsthatprotectgrizzlybearhabitatfromincreasesinmotorizeduse,oil&gasdevelopment,livestockallotments,andtimberharvest.

•  Asaresult,71%(3millionacres)ofsuitablehabitatoutsidethePCAonForestServicelandsislong-termsecurehabitat.

•  FoodstorageregulationsarebeingextendedtoincludemostsuitablehabitatintheGYE.

•  TheForestServicewillincorporateguidancefromtheConservationStrategyforminimizinggrizzlybear-humanandgrizzlybear-livestockconglictsandmaintainingkeygrizzlybearfoodsbothinsidethePCAandinsuitablehabitatsoutsidethePCA.

•  TheYellowstoneGrizzlyBearCoordinatingCommittee(YGCC)isthemanagementcommitteethatwillreplacetheYellowstoneEcosystemSubcommittee(YES)upondelisting.

•  TheYGCCiscomposedofrepresentativesfromFederal,State,Local,andTribalagencies.

•  TheYGCCwillcontinueinplacetoimplementthedetailsoftheConservationStrategyinperpetuitysincegrizzlybearsareaconservationreliantspeciesandwillrequirecarefulandcoordinatedmanagementtoremainrecovered.

•  TheYGCCisresponsibleforcoordinatingtheimplementationoftheConservationStrategy,whichincludes:–  Ensuringthatpopulationandhabitatdataarecollectedandevaluatedannuallytoassessthestatusofthepopulation.

–  Identifyingmanagement,research,andginancialneeds.–  Coordinatinginformationandeducationefforts.

WhattypesofmortalitiescountagainstthetotalmortalitylimitsinsidetheDMA?•  Totalmortalityincludesdocumentedknownandprobablegrizzlybearmortalitiesfromallcausesincludingbutnotlimitedto:–  Managementremovals–  Illegalkills–  Mistakenidentitykills–  Self-defensekills–  Vehiclekills–  Naturalmortalities–  Undetermined-causemortalities–  Grizzlybearhunting–  AstatisticalestimatebytheIGBSTofthenumberofunknown/unreportedmortalities

Howwillthepopulationbemanagedpost-delisting?

Asstatedintheproposeddelistingrule:•  MaintaintheGYEgrizzlybearpopulationattheaveragepopulationestimatefor2002–2014of674.

•  ThepopulationinsidetheGYEdemographicmonitoringareawillbeestimatedannuallybytheIGBSTusingthemodel-averagedChao2method.

•  TheStateswillmeeteachJanuarytoreviewthepopulationmonitoringdatasuppliedbytheIGBSTandcollectivelyestablishdiscretionarymortalityinsidetheDMAoutsideofNationalParkswithinthetotalmortalitylimitspereachage/sexclassavailableforeachjurisdiction(MT,ID,WY).

Willtherebeahuntingseasonforgrizzlybears?

•  ThestateshavestatedtheirintentiontoclassifygrizzlybearsasagamespeciesintheStatesofWyoming,Montana,andIdahooutsideoftheNationalParksandtheWindRiverReservation.

•  Theremaybealimitedhuntingseasonifthestatesdecidetohaveahuntingseason,however:–  AnyhuntingmortalitiesmustbewithinthetotalmortalitylimitsinsidetheDMAdetailedintheproposedrule.

–  Grizzlybearscannotbekilledoutofseasonorwithoutahuntinglicense.

–  Allhuntingmortalitiesmustbereported.–  PoacherswillbeprosecutedunderStatelaws.

•  TheproposedrulesetsoutthenecessaryStateregulationsthatmustbeinplacepriortoaginalruletodelist.

•  MortalitiesoutsideoftheDMAwillnotcountagainsttotalmortalitylimitsinsidetheDMA.

WhatStateregulationsarenecessaryinsidetheDMAbeforeanyginalruleto

delist?Asstatedintheproposeddelistingrule,thesestateregulationsmustbeinplacepriortodelisting:•  Alldiscretionarymortality(exceptifrequiredforhumansafety)insidetheDMAwillbesuspendedifthepopulationestimatefallsbelow600.

•  GrizzlybearhuntinginsidetheDMAwillbesuspendedinthatstateiftotalmortalitylimitsforanyage/sexclassaremetinsidethatstateatanytimeduringtheyear.

•  Anymortalityexceedingtotalmortalitylimitsforanysex/ageclassinanyyearwillbesubtractedfromthatage/sexclasstotalmortalitylimitforthefollowingyear.

•  Femalegrizzlybearswithyoungareprotectedfromhunterharvest.

•  Goal:maintaintheGYEgrizzlybearpopulationattheaveragepopulationestimatefor2002–2014of674.

•  Toachievethisgoal,withintheGYEdemographicmonitoringarea(DMA)theIGBSTwillmonitor:–  Thenumberoffemaleswithcubs–  Distributionoffemaleswithcubs–  Survivalratesforallsex/ageclasses–  Allsourcesofmortality–  Populationtrend–  Cubproduction–  Movementsinrelationtoanychangesinfoods–  Spatialdistributionofgrizzlybear-humanconglicts

•  Backgroundmortality:mortalitiesthatoccureveryyearduetocausesotherthanhunting,includingmanagementremovals,illegalkills,self-defense,calculatedunknown/unreportedmortalities,naturalmortalities,andothercausessuchasvehiclecollisions.

•  InsidetheDMA,expectedbackgroundmortalityiscalculatedbytakingtheaveragenumberofmortalitiesfromthemostrecent4-yearperiodfromallsourcesotherthangrizzlybearhunting.Becausebackgroundmortalitylevelsvaryfromyeartoyear,averagingtheseoverseveralyearsisareasonablepredictorofthesenumbers.

•  Asstatedintheproposeddelistingrule,withinthesemortalitylimits,stategishandwildlifeagencieshavediscretiontodeterminewhethertheyintendtoproposeagrizzlybearhuntingseasonand/orhowmuchdiscretionarymortality(withinallowablelimits)toallocatetohunting.

Estimatedpopulationsize674(thepopulationgoal) 717(2015populationsize)IndependentFemales

IndependentMales

IndependentFemales

IndependentMales

Sizeofsex/agecohortatthispopulationsize 236 236 251 251Totalallowablemortalityrates 7.6% 15% 9% 20%Totalallowablemortalitynumbers 18 35 23 50Averagenon-grizzlyhuntingbackgroundmortalityfrom2012–2015,insidetheDMA 15 22 15 22

Bearsavailablefordiscretionary(hunting)mortalityinall3states 3 13 8 28

•  Asstatedintheproposeddelistingrule,theServicemayinitiateaformalstatusreviewandcouldemergencyrelist(within2weeks)theGYEgrizzlybearpopulationuntilaformalstatusreviewiscompleteifanyoftheseconditionsexist:–  ThereareanychangesinFederal,State,orTriballaws,rules,regulations,ormanagementplansthatdepartsignigicantlyfromthespecigicsofpopulationorhabitatmanagementdetailedintheproposedruleandthisincreasesthethreattothepopulation.

–  Thepopulationfallsbelow500inanyyearusingthemodel-averagedChao2methodorcountsoffemaleswithcubsfallbelow48for3consecutiveyears.

–  IndependentfemaletotalmortalitylimitsasperTables1,2,and3,intheproposedrule,areexceededfor3consecutiveyearsandthepopulationisfewerthan600.

–  Fewerthan16of18bearmanagementunitsareoccupiedbyfemaleswithyoungfor3consecutive6-yearsumsofobservations.

•  Wearerequestingpubliccommentsonthe3documents:– Theproposeddelistingrule– Thedraft2016ConservationStrategy– ThedraftsupplementtotheRecoveryPlanproposedreviseddemographicrecoverycriteria

•  Directionsonhowtocommentonlineorinwritingaredetailedintheproposedrulewhichcanbefoundat:http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/grizzlyBear.php

•  Ascientigicpeerreviewofthe3documentswillalsooccur.Theorganizationofthepeerreviewiscontractedouttoanon-governmentcontractorwhowillselect3-5peerreviewersandsubmitthereviewstotheFWSattheendofthecommentperiod.FWSandDOIhavenoinputintotheselectionofpeerreviewers.Thepeerreviewswillbecomepartoftherecordalongwithallthepubliccommentsreceived.

•  Whenthepubliccommentandpeerreviewcommentperiodiscomplete,FWSwillconsiderthecomments,makeappropriatechangestothe3documentsbasedoncommentsreceived,andmakeadecisiononwhethertoproceedwithdelistingornot.Thisdecisionwilllikelycomeinlatefallorwinterof2016-17.