Grizzly bear meeting set for June 25 in Missoula

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday, June 25, in Missoula for its biannual meeting.

The meeting will start at 1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Downtown, 200 S. Pattee St., and is open to the public.

Committee members will discuss a range of topics related to grizzly bear conservation, including an update on food storage order consistency, outreach and education efforts, and priorities for reducing mortalities in the various ecosystems.

An opportunity for public comment will be provided before the meeting concludes at 5 p.m. After the summer meeting, the IGBC will be convening a strategy planning meeting in an executive session that is closed to the public.

The committee was formed in 1983 to help ensure recovery of grizzly bear populations in the Lower 48 states through interagency coordination of policy, planning, management, and research.

It consists of representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey and representatives of the state wildlife agencies of Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming.

Native American tribes from within the recovery areas are also involved. The Canadian Wildlife Service is also represented.

The IGBC formally convenes twice a year, in the winter and summer.

For more information visit igbconline.org.