The Conservation Biology Alternative for Grizzly Bear Population Restoration
in the Greater Salmon-Selway Region Central Idaho and Western Montana

VI. HABITAT RESTORATION AREAS

Under this alternative, three areas are identified where habitat restoration work will improve habitat security for grizzly bears. Local residents would be hired to carry out restoration work, directly investing them in grizzly bear restoration. In total, more than 1,501 new jobs would be associated with the restoration work (Garrity 1995; Appendix A).

This employment feature of this alternative will encourage support for grizzly bear restoration within communities which are currently fearful that the economic consequences of bear recovery will have a negative impact on their communities. By directly investing these communities in grizzly bear restoration, habitat can be restored which is essential to bear recovery, and attitudes which are hostile to grizzly bears can be ameliorated, thus improving the chances for successful grizzly restoration.

Moreover, these jobs are largely compensatory for jobs that are foregone as a result of not building roads and logging roadless areas within the population recovery zone. The same heavy equipment operators who are used to build roads can also be hired to take roads out. In terms of net cost, more jobs can be created in wildland restoration at far less cost to the treasury than below-cost logging operations within roadless areas (Garrity 1995).

Within the restoration areas, most roads would be ripped, recontoured and revegetated. Revegetation of denuded slopes would also take place. A memorandum of understanding would be developed between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service to implement the restoration work, which will be administered by the U.S. Forest Service.

(a)Corridor Restoration--Within this area (see Figure 3), road densities are currently 2.21 miles per square mile averaged over the entire area of the Corridor Special Management Area Excluding the roadless areas, the road density is 3.28 miles per square mile(Ecology Center 1995). There are currently 3,079 miles of road within the corridor. To achieve the road density standard prescribed in Section 5(b), approximately 2,868 miles of road would be closed. The economic analysis of this potential restoration shows that approximately 1,385 new jobs can be created in carrying out the restoration work in this area (Appendix A). Re-creation of a core area of low road density habitat within the Corridor Special Management Area, would provide necessary habitat security and connectivity to reestablish a population link between the Cabinet-Yaak grizzly population and the future Salmon-Selway population.

(b) Lolo Pass Restoration Area--This area (see Figure 5) is a documented migration route for numerous wildlife species including elk and moose. It is a natural geographic link between areas to the north and south. However, numerous roads and clearcuts are currently fragmenting this area and reducing its value as a key linkage area. Restoration work would create approximately 107 new jobs.

(c)Magruder Restoration Area--One low standard road (see Figure 6) cuts the core of the population recovery zone in half and provides motorized access deep into the core of the recovery area, increasing the mortality risk to bears. This road is not necessary for civilian transportation and is only open part of the year. Closing this road will provide 9 new jobs while securing the core of the population recovery area and reducing mortality risk to bears.

(d)Funding-Funding for the restoration work would be by Congressional appropriation through the annual Interior Appropriations Bill. These costs are more than off-set by prohibiting below-cost timber sales in the roadless areas within the population recovery zone. Garrity (1995) shows that prohibiting these sales will save taxpayers $137 million in the ten year period 1997-2006. (Appendix A).

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