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Posted by Ballpark Frank (24.237.83.208) on 11:52:38 06/27/13
In Reply to: I have so very few answers posted by Hoot
Hoot,
If you go back to the statistical framework agreed upon at the time of listing, existing grizzly habitat was divided into a series of tracts, almost resembling the hatchwork of the strings on a tennis racket. A certain number of females with cubs had to be counted within a certain number of those tracts for at least three consecutive years. That parameter was met long before 2006/2007, when de-listing was attempted. Many of us wondered what the feds were waiting for. I hate to say it, but as a hard core believer in protecting endangered and threatened species, I wanted to see delisting, so we could move forward on additional species. The states all had their management plans prepared. From my perspective, we were ready to go.
I vaguely remember the "multiplier factor", which likely has to do with the scientific assumption on period of fecundity. That is likely what Doak and Cutler are talking about, regarding the 30 year figure.
Here is what I believe to be the bottom line. Grizzly numbers in Greater Yellowstone have far exceeded the goals of the recovery plan. There is an interest group vested in delaying or even eliminating the relaxation of rules put in place by listing. They have what I believe to be an unrealistic and naive perspective on this topic. I have made the same argument on wolves. It stands on both grizzlies and wolves. One of the most potent ways to insure the long term viability of a wildlife species in the USA is to have at least a limited hunt, carefully controlled by professional wildlife managers. Once you have the full weight of the hook and bullet crowd in support of a species, you have achieved the throw weight to maintain a viable population. I say this as a non-hunter, but a former hunter and pragmatist.
What really bothers me is when extreme pro-wolf people advocate for abrogating terms of wolf reintroduction that they disagree with. They forget how close we came to not having reintroduction. It was only after Defenders of Wildlife stepped up with their compensation plan for verified predation on livestock, and negotiated down the Farm Bureau's resistance that we got wolf reintroduction. What some people do not understand is that there are powerful forces watching what goes on regarding wolf reintroduction. If they get the impression their interests were "sold down the river", they will refuse to negotiate on the listing of other species. I see an apparent chauvinism in our attachment to grizzlies and wolves, in the face of the demise of cutthroat trout, lynx, and wolverine! The fact of the matter is most people will never be able to simply drive up to a pullout in Lamar Valley, and train there scope on a cutthroat trout, lynx, or wolverine. They are even less likely to get a good photo of one.
I'm going to put up a second post, consisting of some anecdotal evidence of how well the Yellowstone grizzly population is doing.
Ballpark
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