Endangered Species Coalition 2015 Top 10 Report Nominating Form
General Information
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Nominating Organizations: Please use this Column to Provide the Requested Information
Organization & Web address
Contact name for species info
Address
Email & phone
Communications staff contact name
Email & phone
Natural Resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org)
Sylvia Fallon
1152 15th St. NW
sfallon@nrdc.org 202 513 6246
Josh Mogerman
jmogerman@nrdc.org
General Species Information
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Common name, genus, and species
Geographic range
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Conservation status
Remaining population size
Grizzly bear, Ursus arctos horribilis
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population. (Other populations in the lower 48 occur
along the Canadian border in MT, ID and WA.)
Threatened (Endangered Species Act)
600-1200 in GYE? (There is some uncertainty around the population estimates.)
Report Questions
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Do you have high-resolution photos that can
be used in the report?
Will you want printed reports? If so, how
many?
If your species is selected, will you use the
report as a tool to organize around the
species and/or publicize its plight?
Not sure.
Yes, 10.
Yes.
Public Engagement Questions (Please explain why the species is interesting, why it matters, why decision-makers + the public should care.)0
Grizzly bears are opportunistic omnivores that hibernate 5-8 months of the year. Grizzly
14 Interesting facts about the species
bears can gain over 3lbs a day during the late summer and fall months as they enter
"hyperphagia" or a period of intense eating to put on weight for winter denning. Although
they are a top-of-the-food-chain predator, they are omnivores and their diet often consists
largely of seeds, berries, roots and other plants. Cubs stay with their moms for 2-3 years.
Grizzly bears are the second slowest reproducing land mammal in North America.
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
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Additional background information to
complete the species profile in the report
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What are the most important messages that
should be communicated about this species'
decline? Please be sure to indicate your
organization’s lead message that you would
like to be included in the report.
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Is your NGO working to save the species? If
yes, how? (Optional)
Grizzly bears used to occur across much of the American West. By the 1900s,
however, they had been largely eliminated from the lower 48. Now, one of the most
significant (and isolated) populations of grizzlies in the lower US is found in and
around Yellowstone National Park. Multiple other populations occur along the
Canadian border including the Northern Continental Divide and the Cabinet
Yaak/Selkirks.
Grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are making a great recovery, but
they still face significant risks to their future survival, including the fact that the
population has been isolated from all other populations of grizzly bears for more than
100 years and true connectivity is not likely to happen without significant effort on
the part of federal and state agencies. Regardless, the federal government is poised
to remove Endangered Species Act protections for this population, which will increase
their vulnerability and decrease the likelihood of connectivity being achieved. Rather
than working to achieve true connectivity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is content
to rely on future translocation (e.g., bringing in new bears in trucks periodically) if the
population begins to show signs of reduced genetic diversity.
Yes, NRDC works to conserve grizzly bears in a number of ways. We work with
ranchers to help them implement nonlethal ranching practices that will help eliminate
conflicts between grizzly bears and livestock, which is one of the sources of mortality
for bears. We also have successfully challenged past attempts to remove endangered
species protections for grizzlies in the Yellowstone region based on ongoing threats to
their survival, including the loss of food resources. We pioneered a study of the
decline of whitebark pine in the region – a critical food source for grizzlies. We also
helped fund a study that called into question the population counting methodology
used to estimate the size of the population. We are currently working with a coalition
of groups that are engaging in conversations with both federal and state grizzly bear
managers to ensure that grizzly bears receive adequate protections (regardless of
whether such protections are federal- or state-based) and to encourage management
in a way that maximizes the opportunity for connectivity between the GYE population
and other populations of grizzly bears such as in the NCDE. Finally, we work with a
grizzly bear educator who gives annual presentations on the value of grizzly bears to
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
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How can individuals help? Please be as
specific as possible.
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Is there anything else that governments or
others could/should/are doing to save the
species?
elementary and high school students throughout the region to promote knowledge,
understanding and acceptance of grizzly bears.
Individuals can help by being “bear aware.” If you live and/or recreate in bear
country, secure attractants in a bear-resistant manner and carry bear spray.
People can also call on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish Wildlife
and Parks to make connectivity a priority in the conservation of grizzly bears.
Ensure grizzly bears have the habitat protections in place to allow for continued
expansion in a rapidly developing environment. Local governments can develop
ordinances that address garbage and other attractants available to bears. Government
officials and NGOs need to work together to develop methods that minimize conflicts
between people and bears and increase outreach and awareness.
Criteria-specific Questions – Please feel free to answer N/A or “see above/below” as appropriate. Please cite any substantiating scientific studies.
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Describe the specific threat(s) to the species.
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Why is it in need of greater connectivity?
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Is its geographic range shifting?
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Is there concern around the cyclical/seasonal
Grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem face a number of threats, including
significant recent changes to several of their important food resources (more on this
below). Additionally, the population is isolated from all other populations of grizzly
bears and has been for over 100 years.
Without a concerted effort to achieve connectivity with bears to the north, this
population faces an uncertain future (see genetic diversity Q below).
Grizzly bears used to be found across much of the western US, but their range has
been severely reduced and now the bears in and around Yellowstone National Park
essentially live on an island of habitat. Additionally, several of the food resources that
they have relied on historically are undergoing significant changes. For example,
whitebark pine trees historically provided a good source of fat and protein to bears.
In the past decade and a half, however, these trees have largely succumbed to
infestation by mountain pine beetles and the majority of WBP trees in the GYE have
died. Because these are high elevation trees, grizzlies are starting to shift to lower
elevations at certain times of the year in order to find alternative food sources, which
can often bring them into closer contact with people and therefore lead to more
conflicts.
There is some concern over how grizzly bears are using the landscape now in the
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
life of the species and its interactions within
ecosystems?
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Does it have isolated populations?
Is it at risk of low genetic diversity?
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How urgent is the need for greater
connectivity in order to conserve this
species? Does it face a current, imminent, or
future threat?
Indicate if there is an associated political
threat. For instance, is this species being
actively attacked by an industry group or
member of Congress?
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Judge’s Score for Severity and Extent of Threat:
absence of white bark pine seed availability, which has been greatly reduced due to
climate change. Grizzlies are able to find other food sources, but doing so is likely
placing them at greater risk. For example, foraging at lower elevations may lead to
more contact with humans. They may also be more attracted to gut piles left behind
by big-game hunters, which could lead to more conflicts with hunters.
Yes, the Yellowstone population of grizzly bears is isolated.
Yes. A study from 2003 documented a moderate decline in genetic diversity since the
population was isolated in the early 20th century. The authors suggested that 1-2
effective migrants per generation would be necessary to avoid inbreeding and the
erosion of genetic diversity in the future.
The researchers recommended that translocation efforts should be initiated if natural
connectivity had not been achieved within “several decades.” (Miller and Waits 2003).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is eager to remove federal protections for this
population in part due to pressure from states in the region that want state control
and the ability to institute hunts. Certain ranchers are also interested in lifting
protections to give them greater flexibility with using lethal control to deal with
conflicts with bears.
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Detail information on any social or economic
benefits the species provides—e.g., its value
for recreation or as a subject of scientific
research. (Optional)
Tourism is a big industry in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, and grizzly bears,
particularly those associated with Yellowstone National Park, are a symbol of the
wildness and ruggedness of the Northern Rockies. Grizzlies are loved by people all over
the world. The presence of grizzly bears on the landscape leads to economic benefits
for the Northern Rockies states.
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Detail the ecological importance of the
species (e.g., is it a keystone species?).
Some people consider grizzly bears to be a keystone species. Certainly, grizzly bears
provide a number of ecosystem services including dispersing seeds and nutrients
through their scat, aerating soil as they dig for roots and other foods, and mitigating
prey populations in some areas. Many also consider grizzly bears to be an indicator
species – if grizzlies are doing well in an ecosystem, then that ecosystem’s landscape
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
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Describe how the species could be
considered an "ambassador" or “flagship”
species to enlist public support for
conservation.
Judge’s Score for Importance of Species
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must be healthy (see below).
Grizzly bears require large amounts of secure habitat with low road densities to
thrive. These protections enhance habitat for numerous other species as well. By
ensuring the conditions necessary for a thriving grizzly bear population, you are
ensuring the conditions of a healthy ecosystem that supports a diversity of wildlife.
Judge’s Final Score
Please submit to top10@endangered.org, and thank you for participating in the 2015 Top 10 Report.
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies