Administrative Rules of Montana
Department 12 - FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS
Chapter 12.9 - WILDLIFE DIVISION
Subchapter 12.9.14 - Grizzly Bear Management
Rule 12.9.1403 - GRIZZLY BEAR DEMOGRAPHIC OBJECTIVES FOR THE NORTHERN CONTINENTAL DIVIDE ECOSYSTEM
Current through Register Vol. 6, March 22, 2024
(1) Upon delisting from the Endangered Species Act, management of the grizzly bear and its habitat in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) will be guided by the Conservation Strategy for Grizzly Bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE Conservation Strategy). The department and federal land management agencies will endorse and commit themselves to the NCDE Conservation Strategy by entering into a memorandum of understanding detailing their agreement to implement it. The department will be a signatory to the implementation memorandum.
(2) The department and the commission shall, within their lawful authority to do so, maintain the recovered status of the grizzly bear in the NCDE by implementing interagency cooperation, population and habitat management and monitoring, and other provisions of the NCDE Conservation Strategy in accordance with the responsibilities described therein.
(3) As described in the NCDE Conservation Strategy, the commission adopts the following demographic objectives. The department shall:
(4) Hunting would cease if the probability that the grizzly bear population remains above 800 within the demographic monitoring area falls below 90% and would not resume until the probability is 90% or greater that the population of bears remains above 800.
(5) Hunting will not be allowed in a year if mortality thresholds as described in (3)(b)(ii) or (iii) were exceeded in the previous year.
AUTH: 87-1-301, MCA; IMP: 87-1-201, 87-1-301, MCA