The DCA was established in the Conservation Strategy for Grizzly Bears in the NCDE to provide for continual occupancy by female grizzly bears with cubs and support movement and connectivity between the NCDE, Cabinet-Yaak and Bitterroot Grizzly Bear Recovery Areas.
“Our analysis of grizzly bear metrics based on existing roads shows the Forest Service greatly underestimates the existing condition of the Ninemile DCA in order to make space for the Soldier Butler Timber Sale. This is to the detriment of grizzly bear recovery,” said Paul Sieracki, who performed the roads analysis. Sieracki has an MS in Geospatial Analysis and is a former Forest Service wildlife biologist who is currently an independent consultant in Priest River, Idaho.
The report was co-authored by Mike Bader, an independent consultant in Missoula who has decades of experience in grizzly bear science and management. “Both the Ninemile DCA and the Soldier-Butler Project Area are recovering from the legacy effects of a myriad of roads constructed primarily to provide access to timber sales,” said Bader. “The Forest Service is not managing the area consistent with its designated purpose to provide continual occupancy by female grizzly bears with cubs and provide connectivity between isolated recovery areas.”
The Soldier-Butler Project recently approved by the Forest Service would build 7 miles of new roads, 9 miles of temporary roads and rescinds a previous commitment to decommission 37 miles of road. The Environmental Assessment of the Project estimates open road densities will be as high as 7.7 miles/mi2 and entirely displace grizzly bears from a large portion of the area.
“Habitat protection delayed is habitat protection denied. The Forest Service must begin true habitat protection and restoration,” said Jake Kreilick, a member of the Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force steering committee.
The report was produced under contract with the Missoula-based Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force and will be shared with the Forest Service, the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, the USFWS, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Governor’s Grizzly Bear Advisory Council and others.
(Download the Road Density and Grizzly Bears in the Ninemile Demographic Connectivity Area Report, May 2020, PDF)
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