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

IX. HABITAT MANAGEMENT STANDARDS

(a) Development of Standards--Under this alternative, the Scientific Committee shall develop habitat management standards to apply to portions of the population recovery zone which are located outside of designated wilderness and roadless areas. These standards shall include limits on open and total road densities as well as cover standards.

(b) Maintenance of Roadless Areas--The standard for roadless areas shall be that no roading or logging is allowed within inventoried roadless areas inside the population recovery zone.

Roads are the greatest factor in grizzly bear mortality. Mattson and Knight (1991) found that even secondary roads present a mortality risk for Yellowstone grizzlies five times as high as roadless backcountry areas. Moreover, roads reduce the amount of available habitat for grizzlies by displacing them away from roaded areas. Mattson et al. (1987) found that even within a National Park protected area, Yellowstone grizzlies stayed at least 300 meters from paved roads and recreational roads during the spring and summer, and up to 3 kilometers away during fall.

Kasworm and Manley (1990) found that grizzlies avoided roads more than expected in the Cabinet Mountains area, which is the closest grizzly population to the Salmon-Selway region. Numerous other studies have documented the impacts of roads upon grizzly bear habitat use and mortality including McLellan and Shackleton (1988); Horejsi (1986 and 1989); Archibald, et al. (1987). Jonkel (1979) stated that roads and trails may present the greatest conflict in grizzly country. Conversely, roadless areas provide the most secure habitat for grizzly bears. Female grizzly bears with cubs select for roadless areas in their use of habitat (Mace and Manley 1993).

(c) Mining--The 1872 Mining Act in most cases gives mining activity priority over other land uses. If mining operations are to occur within the population recovery area, the U.S. Forest Service is required by law to minimize impacts on the natural environment and threatened and endangered species.

(d) Grazing--There are no grazing leases in the vast majority of the population recovery area. There is not expected to be any effect on grazing allotments in the first phases of the recovery effort, in which grizzly bears will be translocated into the area of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and Lochsa areas where there are no grazing leases. As grizzly bears eventually expand southward to occupy the southern portion of the population recovery zone, management standards designed to reduce conflicts between bears and livestock grazing outlined in the Interagency Grizzly Bear Management Guidelines shall be the basis for reducing grizzly bear/livestock conflicts. These standards shall be reviewed by the Scientific Committee established in Section 10 and as appropriate, modified to fit the circumstances in this grizzly bear recovery area.

(e) Recreation--There will be a minimal effect on current recreation use patterns in the population recovery area. The vast majority of recreational use is backcountry type recreation, which will continue unaffected. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working with the state fish and game management agencies and the U.S. Forest Service, shall provide information to recreational outfitters and guides in the area on proper food and garbage handling procedures within grizzly country.

(f) Grizzly Bear Management Situations--Pending completion of the analysis of the Scientific Committee outlined in Section 10, all habitat within the population recovery zone shall be considered critical habitat essential to the welfare of the grizzly with the exception of privately owned lands, car access campgrounds, human habitations, human communities (townsites), livestock pens, and major human structures such as fish hatcheries. Bears which enter these areas shall be subject to live-trapping and relocation efforts within 24 hours and subject to control actions in accordance with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Management Guidelines.

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