HJM 10: Opposing grizzly bear recovery — 2024

Rep. Judy Boyle (R-Midvale) introduced House Joint Memorial (HJM) 10, which will be considered in the House Resources Committee. The Memorial opposes efforts to recover grizzly bears in Idaho and will ensure that Idaho’s bears stay on the Endangered Species List for the foreseeable future.

The non-binding memorial opposes efforts to allow grizzly bears to expand into their historic range and opposes the relocation of ESA-Threatened grizzly bears to Central Idaho, specifically in the Frank Church and Selway Bitterroot Wilderness areas.

This central Idaho Bitterroot Ecosystem comprises one of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) six identified grizzly bear recovery zones in the lower 48 States, and provides quality habitat for the bears, if only they can get there.

Current populations of bears have expanded in the Yellowstone Ecosystem and Northern Continental Divide, which includes Glacier National Park. In North Idaho it’s a different story, where although these grizzly populations have experienced modest growth, recovery goals for the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak have not yet been achieved, and therefore, delisting is not prudent at this time.

While there have been occasional jaunts by bears into central Idaho, with documented sightings near Elk City, near Lolo Pass in the Upper Lochsa, and in the North Fork of the Couer d’Alene, it’s still classified as “unoccupied” until a breeding female sets up shop.

Nonetheless the State of Idaho is pushing for delisting the bears, but their argument that Idaho’s bears have recovered has been consistently rejected by the USFWS.

HJM 10 suggests that “current management practices for grizzly bears have been effective in maintaining the balance between conservation objectives… and the state’s citizens and economy.” The memorial fails to recognize that Idaho’s best grizzly habitat is unoccupied, and the North Idaho populations have not yet recovered.

What’s more, Idaho’s efforts to delist the bears requires a showing that there are connections between the 6 Recovery Zones, and this memorial would stifle Idaho’s efforts to encourage the bears’ migration.

As a result, ICL opposes HJM 10, and instead encourages the Idaho Legislature and other leaders to find ways to truly restore grizzly bears in Idaho.