In the early 1800s, grizzly bears roamed the Western United States. But after hundreds of years of hunting and habitat destruction, the number of grizzlies in the American West has plummeted. Today, the biggest threat to the grizzly may be global warming. Whitebark pine, a crucial food source for Yellowstone's grizzly bears, is being rapidly decimated by global warming. NRDC petitioned to have the tree added to the federal Endangered Species List in December 2008.
Posted May 1, 2012 by Louisa Willcox in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Recent statements made at the Yellowstone grizzly bear subcommittee meeting show that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is again putting a political agenda ahead of science, when it comes to decisions affecting the future of the Yellowstone...continued→
Posted April 6, 2012 by Louisa Willcox in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Whitney Leonard of NRDC's Montana office A few week ago, there was a lively discussion about the effectiveness of bear pepper spray at the International Human/Bear conflict workshop in Missoula. The conclusion of over 300 experts pointed to...continued→
Posted January 17, 2012 by Louisa Willcox in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Today I got an update from my friends in Alberta about a protest underway to save critical wildlands in the Castle area of southwest Alberta. Despite the frigid winter temperatures, 50 or so friends of the Castle have banded together...continued→
Posted January 7, 2012 by Sylvia Fallon in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Earlier this week Yellowstone National Park released its ‘State of Conservation’ report in which it outlines its financial needs for improving or maintaining the park’s values as a World Heritage Site. Among its top priorities, the Park identifies the need...continued→
Posted December 5, 2011 by Janet Barwick in Saving Wildlife and WIld Places
Staring out of my office window through a thick layer of frost, I think about the old Dean Martin holiday classic, “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” I shudder to think...continued→
Posted November 29, 2011 by Janet Barwick in Saving Wildlife and WIld Places
The recent victory for grizzlies in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has me feeling very nostalgic about my first encounters with grizzlies. After digesting the court ruling (with a healthy serving of Thanksgiving Day mashed potatoes—my favorite food on...continued→
Posted November 23, 2011 by Sylvia Fallon in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Yesterday an appeals court ruled that the US Fish and Wildlife Service had failed to adequately consider the threat posed to Yellowstone grizzly bears by the loss of whitebark pine – a high elevation tree that provides a key food...continued→
Posted November 9, 2011 by Sylvia Fallon in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
In a New York Times' blog yesterday, Leslie Kaufman asks the question, ‘How is a Grizzly bear like a wolf?,’ as she compares the fight over delisting the grizzly bear to the battle over the wolf. The Fish and Wildlife...continued→
Posted October 21, 2011 by Louisa Willcox in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
The October 2nd article in the Missoulian also contained another misleading statement by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator Dr. Chris Servheen about public support for bear recovery. Dr. Servheen said: “If we are blocked by the...continued→
Posted October 20, 2011 by Matt Skoglund in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, The Media and the Environment
My heavy flannel shirts have been summoned from the closet. Wood smoke fills the air in the neighborhood most nights now. A trace of gun oil can be detected on my jeans, and I unnecessarily linger outside in the...continued→
