NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Wednesday, March 29, 1995
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
No incident reports received.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Grizzly Bear Recovery
Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Fish and Wildlife
Service listed the grizzly bear as a threatened species in 1975. A primary
goal of ESA is to recover populations of species listed as threatened or
endangered to self-sustaining, viable populations that no longer need
protection under the act. As part of this goal, recovery parameters for
grizzlies were established in the 1993 grizzly bear recovery plan. Under this
plan, three population recovery goals must be achieved before the grizzly bear
population is considered recovered. All three were achieved in 1994:
* Females with cubs - The recovery goal is to have an average of 15 adult
females with cubs-of-the-year (COY) on a six-year running average both inside
the recovery zone and within a ten-mile area immediately surrounding the
recovery zone. The annual average number of females with COY is currently 21.2
* Distribution of females with cubs - In order to monitor grizzly bear
population trends and to analyze the consequences of human activities and
development on bears, grizzly habitats within the recovery zone were divided
into 18 units. The recovery goal is to have 16 of 18 recovery zone units
occupied by females with young from a running six-year sum of observations and
to have a situation in which no two adjacent units are unoccupied. This goal
is currently being achieved.
* Mortality - The rate of human-caused grizzly bear mortality, especially of
adult females, is a key factor influencing the potential recovery of the
population in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Known human-caused mortalities in
excess of the level sustainable at a given number of females with cubs could
result in population decline, while mortalities below this level would likely
result in population increase. The recovery goal is to have a level of human-
caused mortality of four percent of the population or less based on the most
recent three-year sum of females with cubs minus known adult female deaths.
These mortality levels cannot be exceeded during any two consecutive years.
The known human-caused mortality limit for the six-year period from 1989 to
1994 is eight bears annually - four percent of the estimated population of 208
bears. The current average is about two percent.
In addition to these three biological goals, there must be a demonstration that
"adequate regulatory mechanisms" are in place to insure conservation of the
species if and when it should be removed from the special protections granted
by ESA. A conservation strategy is currently being written for the Yellowstone
ecosystem grizzly bear population in order to meet the fourth goal. [Kerry
Gunther, Mark Biel, Sue Consolo Murphy, YELL - excerpted from "The Buffalo
Chip", the park's resource management newsletter]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
MEMORANDA
No memoranda.
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax: 202-208-6756
cc:Mail: WASO Ranger Activities
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