Ecosense for Living

Grizzlies, Wolves, & The Endangered Species Act

We asked the people of Montana and Wyoming about their relationship with wolves and grizzly bears and the answer was, "It's Complicated." In the politics of strange bedfellows, sometimes hunters, landowners, native tribes, and environmentalists find themselves on the same side of advocacy. However, there are big questions about the best way to live with apex predators, especially when they've been absent from much of the landscape for decades. Should grizzly bear continue to be protected under the Endangered Species Act? How many bear are the ideal number? Should they be hunted as a management tool, or are there better ways to prevent human/bear conflict? Can large predators be allowed to migrate and populate naturally, or have humans claimed too much territory to allow that? EcoSense meets with farmers, hunters, native Americans, and organizations like Greater Yellowstone Coalition where voices with varying opinions find "common ground," and sometimes put aside their different perspectives for the greater conservation good.