The Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee is canceling its October meeting due to the recent court decision to relist the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) population of grizzly bears.
The meeting was scheduled for Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 in Jackson, Wyoming. Rather than hold the meeting, the YGCC is going to host an informational update conference call and webinar on Nov. 1 from 9-11 a.m.
The agenda for the planned two-day meeting was mostly related to implementing the conservation strategy for the delisted population of grizzly bears. The federal district court decision in September to relist the grizzly bears in the GYE has changed the course for the state, federal, local, and tribal entities involved in grizzly bear management.
“We recognize the high public interest in understanding the court decision,” said Mike Volesky, FWP chief of operations and YGCC committee chair. “However, since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others are still reviewing the ruling, it is too soon to be able to meaningfully discuss next steps.”
The webinar/conference call will include discussion on the YGCC committee transitioning back to the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee structure, which was more appropriate for the listed population of grizzly bears. The group will also have a brief update from the US Fish and Wildlife Service on the litigation regarding the GYE bears and a report from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team on population monitoring to date.
Log-in/call-in information will be made available to the committee and all interested parties in the near future.
