As grizzlies expand across the Northern Rockies, we’re revisiting a story from last season that helps connect the dots.

We head to southwest Montana, where ranchers Jami Murdoch and Erik Kalsta are monitoring grizzlies and other wildlife moving through their working lands. Along with Blackfeet rancher Kristen Kipp and federal and state wildlife experts, we explore what grizzly recovery really entails – and what it takes for bears and people to share the landscape.

Note: This episode was first released in January 2024 as part of our second season about community and landowner-led endangered species recovery. Grizzly management update: What’s really going on with the USFWS new proposed grizzly rule

Listen

Links

Grizzly management update: What’s really going on with the USFWS new proposed grizzly rule

An official grizzly in the Big Hole, by Erik Kalsta https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2023/the-working-wild/an-official-grizzly-in-the-big-hole/ 

US Fish and Wildlife Service Grizzly Bear Recovery Program: https://www.fws.gov/office/grizzly-bear-recovery-program  

Sell, et al. article in Biological Conservation on predicted connectivity pathways for grizzly bears in Montana: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723003002?via%3Dihub  

Yellowstone-area grizzly bears have stopped expanding their range, in WyoFile by Mike Koshmrl  https://wyofile.com/yellowstone-area-grizzly-bears-have-stopped-expanding-their-range/ 

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee – https://igbconline.org/  

Credits

Working Wild University is a production of Western Landowners Alliance and Dr. Jared Beaver of Montana State University Extension, and a proud part of Natural Resources University podcast network. 

Hosted by Hallie Mahowald and Jared Beaver; Produced by Zach Altman; Editing by Kathleen Shannon and Zach Altman; Executive producers: Louis Wertz, Jared Beaver, Hallie Mahowald and Erik Kalsta.