Back Row L to R: Eric Gardner, Chris Servheen, Frank van Manen, Rick Hotaling, Dave Schmid, Jim Unsworth, Scott Talbott, Nora Rasure, Tony Hamilton, Jodi Bush, Chris Smith, Terry Rabot, Paul Frame, Anne Braaten. Front Row L to R: Ken McDonald, Steve Cain, Andrea Lyons, Matt Hogan, Scott Jackson, Tammy Whittington, Ellen Davis, Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Becki Heath, Jack Oelfke, Bob Everitt.

IGBC Executive Committee

The IGBC Memorandum of Understanding and the Committee charter direct the Executive Committee to provide overall guidance for approved projects as detailed in the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan and associated management decisions. Each year the IGBC Executive Committee meets in the winter in Missoula, Montana and in the summer within one of the grizzly bear recovery ecosystems. Specifically, the Executive Committee takes the following actions during their business meetings:

  • Implements the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, and all management and research activities necessary to provide for recovery of the grizzly bear
  • Directs research and monitoring activities
  • Makes joint recommendations to Federal and State agency heads
  • Reviews and approves or disapproves actions proposed by Subcommittees
  • Make provisions for implementation of approved actions

The chairmanship of the IGBC executive committee rotates every two years.

executive committee - igbc

Back Row L to R: Frank van Manen, Ed Schriever, Ken McDonald, Rick Hotaling, Jim Unsworth, Scott Talbott, Tony Hamilton, Paul Frame, Chris Servheen, Scott Jackson, Joe Alexander Front Row L to R: Gregg Losinski, Matt Hogan, Claudia Regan, Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Ellen Davis, Tammy Whittington, Dave Schmid, Terry Rabot

Jim UnsworthJim Unsworth, IGBC Chair 2016-2018

Dr. Jim Unsworth became director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in February of 2015.

Prior to coming to WDFW, Unsworth spent more than 30 years in wildlife management with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. He held several management positions for the department, including deputy director, state big game manager and wildlife bureau chief.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management from the University of Idaho, a master’s degree in fish and wildife management from Montana State University and a doctorate in forestry, wildife and range sciences from the University of Idaho.

Ellen Davis, IGBC Executive Coordinator, 2005 – Present

Ellen Davis has held the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) Executive Coordinator position since April 2005. The Ellen DavisExecutive Coordinator is a U.S. Forest Service position and has been for much of IGBC’s 33 years of existence. Prior to that, the position was with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It is also the only permanent staff position within the IGBC and funded by all the federal IGBC member agencies.

Davis’s Forest Service career has spanned over 27 years with the agency. Davis began her career in the Alaska Region before moving to the Northern Region of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. She held Public Affairs Specialist positions in both regions before becoming the IGBC Executive Coordinator for the IGBC.

She holds an Associate of Arts (AA) Degree with an emphasis in Communications and English from the University of Alaska, Southeast, Ketchikan Campus.

Executive Committee Subcommittee Meetings

Upcoming meetings

Please refer to the Meeting Calendar for upcoming meetings of the Executive Committee.

Meeting summaries and presentations

  • Information and Education Update
  • Wildlife Management Institute Support to the IGBC
  • Update on IGBC Bear Resistant Container-Testing and Certification Program
  • IGBC and Subcommittee Ecosystems Five-Year Action Plan
  • Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team 2015 Research and Monitoring Summary
  • GYE Grizzly Bear Population Monitoring & New Genetic Research
  • Selkirk Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystems Accomplishments and Research Updates
  • Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem 2015 Report
  • 2015 IGBC Expenditure Report
  • North Cascades Ecosystem and EIS Update
  • Bitterroot Ecosystem Update 1
  • Bitterroot Ecosystem Update 2

Executive Committee Subcommittee Membership

  • Jim Unsworth (Chair) Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
  • Matt Hogan (Vice-Chair) Region 6, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  • Ellen Davis (IGBC Executive Coordinator) U.S. Forest Service
  • Ed Shriver Idaho Fish & Game
  • Ken McDonald Montana, Fish Wildlife and Parks
  • Scott Talbott Wyoming Game and Fish Department
  • David Schmid Region 1, U.S. Forest Service
  • Jacque Buchanan Region 2, U.S. Forest Service
  • Nora Rasure Region 4, U.S. Forest Service
  • Becki Heath Region 6, U.S. Forest Service
  • Theresa Rabot Region 1, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  • Pat Walsh Intermountain Region, National Park Service
  • Karen Taylor-Goodrich North Cascades National Park
  • Claudia Regan Northern Rocky Mtn. Science Center, USGS
  • Rick Hotaling Montana State, BLM, also represents Idaho State BLM and Wyoming State BLM

Canadian partners

  • Alec Dale and Tony Hamilton British Columbia Ministry of Environment
  • Paul Frame Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
  • Dave McDonough Jasper National Park, Parks Canada

Advisors to the IGBC Executive Committee Subcommittee

  • Chris Servheen Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, USFWS
  • Frank van Manen Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, USGS
  • Scott Jackson National Carnivore Program, U.S. Forest Service

Executive Committee I&E Committee Membership

  • Gregg Losinski (Chair) Idaho Department of Fish and Game (Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee))
  • Kim Annis Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (Selkirk/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem Subcommittee)
  • Tod McKay U.S. Forest Service (Bitterroot Ecosystem Subcommittee)
  • Laurie Wolf Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem)
  • Denise Schultz National Park Service (North Cascades Ecosystem Subcommittee)

IGBC Foundation and Policy Documents

Foundations of the IGBC

IGBC Position Statements

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Documents

Historical Documents