IGBC FAQs

The grizzly bear was listed as threatened in the contiguous United States in 1975. A history of the early period after listing is available: 1993 IGBC Historical Summary.

Yes. The Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1982 and updated in 1996.

The IGBC was created in 1983 through a Memorandum of Agreement for the following purposes:

1. To coordinate policy, planning, management and research with the federal and state agencies responsible for grizzly bear recovery and management; and
2. To implement the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan.

For more details see A Bulleted History of the IGBC

The original Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 1983 by Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior and the Governors of MT, WY, WA, ID. The Memorandum of Agreement reflects the need to have top level agency participation on the IGBC. The most recent Memorandum of Agreement was revised in December 2013.

IGBC membership currently includes U.S.D.A Forest Service, U.S.D.I. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.D.A. Bureau of Land Management, U.S.D.I. National Park Service, the state wildlife agencies of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington, the British Columbia Wildlife Branch, the Alberta Wildlife Branch, and Parks Canada.

The Executive Committee representatives are generally regional foresters, regional directors and state directors.

In addition, a cadre of advisors to the IGBC Executive Committee including the USFWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, the USFS National Carnivore Program Leader, and the USGS Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team Leader.

There are 5 subcommittees representing 6 recovery areas

• The Bitterroot Ecosystem Subcommittee (BE) focuses on the Bitterroot Recovery Ecosystem in the Bitterroot Mountains of east central Idaho and western Montana (5,600 mi 2), however this area does not contain any grizzly bears at this time.
• The North Cascades Ecosystem Subcommittee (NCE) focuses on the North Cascades Recovery Ecosystem of north central Washington (9,500 mi 2) at less than 20 bears
• The Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) subcommittee focuses on the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem of north central Montana (9,600 mi 2) at more than 400 bears
• The Selkirk/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem Subcommittee (SCY) focuses on two recovery areas:
  • The Selkirk Mountain Recovery Ecosystem of northern Idaho, northeastern Washington, and southeast British Columbia (2,200 mi 2) at approximately 40 to 50 bears;
  • The Cabinet Yaak Recovery Ecosystem of northwest Montana and northern Idaho (2,600 sq mi) at approximately 30 to 40.
• The Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee (YES) focuses on the Yellowstone Ecosystem in northwest Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and southwest Montana (9,200 mi 2) at more than 580 bears.

The IGBC Executive Committee meets twice each year. In the winter, the committee usually meets in in Missoula. During the winter meeting the 5 subcommittees report on their annual accomplishments and define their program of work for upcoming year. The Executive Committee meets in one of the grizzly bear ecosystems with field trip each summer. Click here for the Executive and Subcommittee Meeting Calendar.