vital news - fall 2009

VITAL NEWS FALL 2009WHERE THE GRIZZLY CAN WALK, THE EARTH IS HEALTHY AND WHOLE.

T H E V I T A L G R O U N D F O U N D A T I O N - F A L L 2 0 0 9

Vitalital Newsews

Inside this issue:• New Idaho Forest Legacy Project 3• Bear-proofi ng Dumpsters 5• Cabinet–Purcell Connections 6• Strength of Connections Campaign 8• Wild Bear Adventure 10• New Grizzly for the Cabinets 12• Griz Spirits Live On 13• Conservation Colleague 14• Brown Bear’s World 19

This rare white grizzly bear cubwas photographed this year near Knight Inlet

Lodge, host of Vital Ground’s annual Wild Bear Adventure. Learn about our 2010 trip inside.

Photo by Robert Scriba

VITAL NEWS FALL 20092

VITALGROUND

FOUNDERSDOUG AND LYNNE SEUS

BART THE BEAR™BOARD OF TRUSTEES

DOUGLAS H. CHADWICK, VICE CHAIRCAROLYN E. DOBBS, PH.D.

CHARLES E. EISEMAN, JR., TREASURERTHOMAS H. FEY

ROBERT W. KOONS, CHAIR JONATHAN W. LANDERS

JOE MATZA M. BANU QURESHI

LYNNE SEUSSTUART D. STRAHL, PH.D.

JOHN E. SWALLOWDAVID E.WESLEY, PH.D. SECRETARY

KELLY A. WILSON TRUSTEE EMERITUS

DOUG SEUS STAFF

GARY J. WOLFE, PH.D.Executive Director

RYAN LUTEY, J.D.Director of LandsSARAH CANEPA

Land Conservation SpecialistKIFFIN HOPE, M.H.

Development and Outreach CoordinatorSHANNON FOLEY

Offi ce ManagerSHELLY WEAR

Administrative Assistant

NEWSLETTERCHRISTINE PAIGE

EditorRANDY STEKLY, DOUBLE CLICK DESIGN

Layout & Design

HONORARY BOARD JENNIFER ANISTON

JEFF BRIDGESSUSAN BRIDGES

JOHN CRAIGHEAD, PH.D.JEAN CRAIGHEAD GEORGE

SIR ANTHONY HOPKINSJACK HORNER, PH.D.

THOMAS D. MANGELSENBRAD PITT

EDWARD ZWICK

BOARD OF ADVISORSLARRY AUMILLER Wildlife BiologistKEITH JOHNSON

BusinessmanCOLLEEN MATTWildlife Manager

NANCY MCLAUGHLIN, J.D.Attorney

CHRIS MORGANBear SpecialistJACK NOLL

Database Design & AnalysisMICHAEL PROCTOR, PH.D.

Wildlife BiologistDEREK REICHVideographer

PENNY RONNINGFilm Producer

AMBASSADORSBART THE BEAR 2™

HONEY BUMP THE BEAR™TANK THE BEAR™

Vital News is published twice annually. Copyright © 2009 by Vital Ground. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part

without written permission is prohibited.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER

THE MISSION OF VITAL GROUND IS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE NORTH AMERICA’SGRIZZLY BEAR POPULATIONS BY CONSERVING WILDLIFE HABITAT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

This summer, I had the honor of announcing the launch of Vital Ground’s new Strength of Connections Campaign. This will be Vital Ground’s largest, most ambitious fund-raising effort since its founding in 1990. The $2 million campaign will run through our

20th Anniversary Year of 2010.

Strength of Connections is truly an expression of what we do at Vital Ground: connect. We connect fragmented landscapes, connect grizzly bear and other wildlife populations, and connect the right people with Vital Ground’s mission so that our conservation goals can be achieved.

Working cooperatively with local community groups and decision makers, state and federal wildlife and land management agencies, willing landowners and our dedicated supporters, the goal of the Strength of Connections Campaign is to address the issue of habitat fragmentation head-on by permanently protecting crucial private lands for the benefit of grizzly bears and other wildlife that share their range.

I am pleased to report that the campaign is off to a roaring start (see Campaign Update, page 8), and the response of Vital Ground’s dedicated supporters has been truly inspirational.

In August, we received a $25 contribution toward the campaign from one of our youngest supporters, ten-year-old Alexis Mottram. Alexis has been donating to Vital Ground since she was five, when she asked her mother if she could donate her birthday money to Vital Ground. Alexis’ gift inspired our staff and board, and reminded us of why we work so hard to save wildlife habitat (see A Young Supporter with Heart, page 9).

A few weeks ago, Vital Ground held its fall board of trustees meeting in Park City, Utah. During an evening reception, we showed our Strength of Connections video to the trustees and a small group of donors, and updated them on Vital Ground’s various grizzly bear habitat conservation projects.

Vital Ground’s founders and most devoted supporters, Doug and Lynne Seus, were in atten-dance. Soon after we finished our program updates, Lynne stood up and said that she had an announcement she’d like to share with the audience.

Teary-eyed and full of emotion, she presented a check for $50,000 to Vital Ground on behalf of the Seus family—including Bart, Bart 2, Honey Bump and Tank—to be applied towards the Strength of Connections Campaign. Needless to say, all in attendance were moved and cheered for the Seuses and their ongoing commitment to protecting habitat for grizzlies and other wildlife.

And then, as soon as things quieted down a bit, Doug stood and made his own announce-ment—if Vital Ground supporters would rally and make their own “new gifts” totaling at least $50,000, he and Lynne would match it with an additional $50,000 contribution to Vital Ground by year-end. Within seconds pledges were being made and checks written, and before the evening was over the “Seus Challenge” (as it quickly came to be called) had garnered nearly $40,000 of the $50,000 goal.

This sort of individual passion and commitment defines Vital Ground’s spirit, and positions us to play a leadership role in the race to conserve dwindling wildlife habitat.

As we move towards Vital Ground’s 20th Anniversary Celebration in 2010, please help us achieve our Strength of Connections Campaign goal so we can protect those remaining vulnerable, crucial private lands that are absolutely vital to the future of grizzlies and so many other wild creatures. As Lynne Seus so aptly said years ago, “Where the grizzly can walk, the earth is healthy and whole.” Thank you!

—Gary J. Wolfe

3VITAL NEWS FALL 2009

The Farnsworth FamilyAt 87 years of age, Al Farnsworth works daily to implement his vision for what the family’s forests will look like during the next 20 years. Al and his wife, Caroline, began purchasing timber land in North Idaho in 1961. Following Al’s piloting career in the U.S. Air Force—a career that spanned thirty years and service in World War II, Korea and Viet-nam—Al and Caroline turned their attention to managing their North Idaho forest lands on a full-time basis. Since then, the entire family has helped care for the properties, often recreating by planting trees, thinning, and spending as much time as possible out on the ground.

As a result of their tireless dedication to forest stewardship, the Farnsworths were honored as the Idaho Tree Farmer of the Year by the American Tree Farm System in 1984, and the Western Region Tree Farmer of the year in 1985. With those awards, the American Tree Farm System recognized the family’s “…commitment to protecting wildlife habitat and watersheds, conserving soil and providing recre-ation for their communities while producing wood for America.”

Protecting North Idaho’s TreasuresVital Ground met Al and Caroline in February 2009, and as we began brainstorming permanent conservation opportunities and learning about the properties, we discovered that three of the parcels are situ-ated within the Cabinet–Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone. A fourth property provides valuable spring habitat to the Selkirk Mountains grizzly population, and yet another encompasses more than a half mile of the Moyie River in an area with documented grizzly use located just outside of the Cabinet–Yaak Recovery Zone.

One of the larger properties included in the project—the 1,136-acre Enchanted Forest property—shares common boundaries with both

(Continued on page 4)

Far-reaching North Idaho Project Benefi ts Bears in Two Recovery Zones 1

At a time when the market for northwest wood products is at an ebb, with depressed timber prices, region-wide mill closures and large-scale divestiture and development of

private forest lands, Vital Ground has joined with a family-held partnership to permanently protect more than 4,000 acres of some of North Idaho’s most desirable, non-industrial private timber lands.

The project marks Vital Ground’s third proposal to the Idaho Forest Legacy Program (FLP), which uses funding from the U.S. Forest Service to protect wildlife habitat while maintaining sustainable timber practices. Our fi rst FLP effort, the 1,647-acre Clifty View Foothills Project, was completed in 2007; the 720-acre Bane Creek Neighbors Project was recently awarded federal funding to complete conservation easements in 2010. This new FLP proposal would allow us to acquire bargain sale conservation easements on six distinct properties in three counties, all possessing diverse wildlife habitat and important scenic values.

If successful, the North Idaho Timber Communities FLP Project will protect 4,117 acres of habitat, Vital Ground’s largest single habitat conservation project to date. The project is not only unique for its size, but also for the dedication the landowners have shown in manag-ing their holdings since they began acquiring these parcels nearly a half-century ago.

Photo by Sarah Canepa

When complete, the North Idaho Timber Communities Forest Legacy Project will protect 4,117 acres that includes grizzly habitat for both Cabinet–Yaak and Selkirk Mountains populations.


PROJECT LOCATOR MAP - LOWER 48 STATES

(NORTH IDAHO PROJECT from page 3)

Idaho Panhandle National Forest lands and the Clifty View Foothills Project. Together, this Farnsworth parcel and Clifty View protect a block of more than 2,800 acres within and adjacent to the northwest tip of the Cabinet–Yaak Recovery Zone. The parcel’s dense forests and rolling pastures not only provide excellent seasonal bear habitat, but also critical winter range and calving areas for white-tailed and mule deer, elk and moose. The two privately conserved holdings will function as an important buffer between national forest lands and lower elevation private holdings that have been under constant development pressure for the past decade.

Another parcel is located within the McArthur Lake Wildlife Corridor, between Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint, and offers the best remaining potential to sustain wildlife movements between the Selkirk Mountains to the west and Cabinet Mountains to the east. Protecting this property dovetails with numerous conservation investments made to preserve this valuable wildlife corridor by The Nature Conservancy of Idaho, Idaho Fish and Game Department, the Clark Fork–Pend Oreille Conservancy and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

In addition to benefi ting grizzlies, conservation of the Farnsworth properties will protect habitat for other federally listed or sensitive

wildlife species including Canada lynx, gray wolf, wolverine, fi sher, and peregrine falcon. The project will also enhance protection for numerous watersheds feeding the Moyie River, Kootenai River, St. Joe River, and Clark Fork River, which will sustain water quality and habitat for several federally-listed fi sh species, including bull trout, burbot and white sturgeon.

In total, the project will protect the surrounding watersheds and segments of seven different Class I streams—a designation under the Idaho Forest Practices Act for streams that are important for domes-tic water supplies or as important spawning, rearing or migration waterways for salmonid species. Additionally, the project would permanently protect more than ten reaches of Class II streams, which infl uence the water quality of downstream Class I streams.

After securing assignable option contracts to acquire conservation easements on the properties this spring, the FLP project application was submitted to the Idaho Department of Lands in June and will be next reviewed by the Forest Service for completion in phases during 2011 and 2012. The project has already received written endorse-ments from more than 20 state and federal agencies, local community boards, businesses and other non-profi t organizations working in northern Idaho. Vital Ground is excited to continue to recruit new supporters as the project unfolds.

—Ryan Lutey

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Shop REI online through our special link at www.vitalground.org, and REI will donate a whopping 7% of your purchase cost to Vital Ground—at no extra charge to you! Complete your shopping in a few clicks and help save habitat for grizzlies! To trigger the donation, you must access the REI website through the REI link on Vital Ground’s website. Simply go to www.vitalground.org and click on the REI link.

Key

Previous Projects

1 North Idaho FLP2 Trego Sanitation Project

Wilderness Areas


Bear-proofi ng Dumpster Sites in Trego, Montana 2

It was a rough spring for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) biologist Tim Thier, who received phone call after phone call from frustrated residents reporting problem black bears in the vicinity of Trego in northwestern Montana. “It always seemed that I was about 10 minutes behind these bears as they raided dumpsters, residential trash and bird feeders, and even harassed campers at a nearby U.S. Forest Service campground,” reports Thier. Sadly, the conflict came to a head when Thier was forced to lethally remove an especially persistent bear who had evaded trapping efforts and attempts at hazing.

A large part of the problem stemmed from the garbage collection site in Trego, locat-ed a short distance west of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE).

After gaining support from the Lincoln County Environmental Health Department, Thier began to identify partners to back a bear-proof fencing and electrification project at the site. Vital Ground agreed to facilitate a grant application to FWP’s Living With Wildlife Program for part of the needed funds.

The grant was quickly matched through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway jumped on board to provide the balance of the funds through the Great Northern Environmental Stewardship Area (GNESA) Partnership. With Lincoln County agreeing to perform the work this fall, Thier feels as though he can breathe a little easier. “Although we believe that it has only been black bears visiting the dumpsters thus far, with the increased presence of grizzly bears in the area, we know that it could be a grizzly bear getting into trouble tomorrow.”

In the past few years, grizzly bear sight-ings have significantly increased in the Trego area south of Eureka, Montana. As the grizzly population grows in the NCDE, evidence suggests that bears have been moving into the Salish Mountains south of Eureka. Biologists hope that as these animals expand their range, they will eventually help augment the small population of grizzlies in the Cabinet–Yaak Ecosystem.

A similar project was completed two years ago at Glen Lake, where grizzly females with cubs were seen in the dumpsters. Since the installation of electrified fenc-ing at the site, there has been no further evidence of bears or other wildlife gaining access to the dumpsters.

As for Vital Ground, we appreciate the opportunity to partner on projects that reduce human-bear conflicts and allow these animals to move safely across the landscape.

—Sarah Canepa

Memberships Monthly Giving

Business Partnerships Planned Gifts

Conservation Easements

Visit www.vitalground.org or call 406-549-8650

Forever wildHelp KeepGrizzly Country

Photo by www.demanczuk.com


Building Connections across the Cabinet–Purcell Region

During the past two years, Vital Ground has been working with a coalition of partners to develop a strategy to maintain and restore linkage zones between the Cabinet and Purcell

Mountains in northwestern Montana and northern Idaho.

Protecting habitat linkages is a major concern in the wildlife conserva-tion world, yet maintaining and restoring wildlife connectivity is more complex than most folks would imagine. Here at Vital Ground, conserv-ing wildlife corridors means building strong working relationships not only among biologists and conservationists, but also with communities and landowners. All of these partners can provide valuable information about how animals move across the landscape to reach suitable habitat.

Linkage zones, corridors, areas of wildlife movement: these are all names for areas where animals travel between large blocks of suitable habitat, such as national forests and national parks. Linkage zones often cross valleys where animals will encounter roads and human develop-ment. Not only do animals need to navigate across physical barriers such as highways, rivers and railroads, but they also face the hazards associated with human habitation such as garbage, pet foods and other attractants that can bring bears into confl ict with people. The more humans occupying a linkage zone, the more likely an animal will get into trouble.

Ideal linkage zones for bears are areas that have a minimal amount of development and where local residents reduce attractants that can

draw bears close to their homes. Yet conservation in linkage zones must address the values of private landowners who may be concerned about private property rights and are unsure of how conservation will affect their vision for their lands. Vital Ground is sensitive to these concerns and works to build relationships and establish credibility in the local community to help support our work.

The Cabinet–Purcell strategy is based on data gathered from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Trans-border Grizzly Bear Project and local residents, which is then analyzed to predict movements of grizzly bears. By working with willing landowners in the most important linkage areas to protect habitat and reduce bear hazards and attractants, we hope that this strategy will allow an animal to fi nd its way safely from Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada, down into the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana and Idaho. Our work on this program has been funded the past two years by the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative based in Alberta, Canada, to help connect grizzly populations in Canada and the U.S., and by a grant from the Wilbur-force Foundation via the Heart of the Rockies Initiative.

Building connections across the landscape can benefi t both wildlife and local communities through the conservation of farm and timber lands, wildlife habitat and the scenic vistas that attract visitors to this remote and spectacular region. As we identify opportunities to conserve linkage habitat, Vital Ground continues to strengthen our connection to the people who live and work on the landscape and to communities that seek to maintain their traditional farm and forest economies.

—Sarah Canepa

Prairie Thunder Wineby Ten Spoon Vineyard + Winery

A special blend of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, Prairie Thunder offers the silky, rich fl avors of dark cherry, cof-fee and chocolate on a berry fi eld, with a hint of strawberry. No sulfi tes are added to any Ten Spoon wines.

Prairie Thunder is available in retail shops across the state of Montana. A list of shops can be found on the winery’s website. The winery also ships wine by FedEx Ground to other states, where allowable.

Visit www.tenspoonvineyard.com, email [email protected], or phone thewinery at (406) 549-8703 for moreinformation.

Vital Ground receives$1.00 for each bottleof Prairie Thunder purchased.

Grizzly Blend Coffeeby Montana Coffee Traders

Grizzly Blend is an earthy, full-bodied, medium-roasted blend. Vital Ground receives $1.00 for each pound of Grizzly Blend purchased.

Purchase directly from Montana Coffee Traders by calling 1-800-345-5282 or visiting online at www.coffeetraders.com.

BUSINESS PARTNERS

BUY

DIRECT FROM O

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BUSINESS PARTNERS

BUY

DIRECT FROM O

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NEWS AND NOTES

Vital Ground’s20th Anniversary CelebrationA special celebration is being planned to commemorate Vital Ground’s 20th anniversary in 2010. The event is tenta-tively scheduled to be held in Park City, Utah, but the exact date remains to be determined.

Please contact our office if you would like to be kept informed as the details of this very special event unfold. You may also check our website for updates.

Vital Ground Welcomes Two New TrusteesDuring Vital Ground’s fall 2009 board meeting in Park City, Utah, Charles E. Eiseman, Jr. of Missoula, Montana and Joe Matza of Malibu, California were elected as new members of our board of trustees.

Charlie brings extensive financial experi-ence to the board, having worked in marketing, management, and retail lending for such institutions as Federal Home Loan Bank Seattle, Western Security Bank and Havre Federal Savings and Loan. Now working part time for the Federal Home Loan Bank, he is also an owner of PEAK Health and Wellness Center, Missoula’s premiere fitness facility. Charlie graduated from the University of Montana–Missoula in 1973. Dedicated to conservation, he also serves on the board of Five Valleys Land Trust in Missoula. He is already providing guidance, advocacy and support of Vital Ground’s mission and contributing valu-able expertise and insight to Vital Ground’s staff and fellow trustees.

Joe Matza is President and CEO of EFILM, one of a new breed of movie industry companies offering digital laboratory

services. Among the company’s recent credits are Julie and Julia, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Angels and Demons, and Ironman. Joe’s career in filmmaking began as a communication arts graduate student at Loyola Marymount University where he received a Masters degree. In 1981, he was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Indi-vidual Achievement for his work on Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, a PBS series. Today Joe’s main focus is to improve the digital labora-tory environment by providing filmmakers with better creative tools, higher quality images, and more efficient processes. Joe is a member of The Directors Guild of America and an associate member of The American Society of Cinematographers. In partnership with John Swallow, Joe produced Vital Ground’s Strength of Connections video, and his firm, EFILM, provided the post-production. We look forward to having Joe’s creative vision on the board.

Yellowstone Grizzlies Listed AgainIn September, Federal Judge Donald W. Molloy of the Montana District Court ruled that the Yellowstone grizzly popula-tion should once again be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The ruling reverses the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007 decision to remove the population from threatened status under the ESA.

The Yellowstone grizzly population bounced back from roughly 200 bears in 1975 to 600 bears today, and was delisted by the USFWS after meeting the require-ments set under the recovery plan. Upon delisting, federal and state agencies put in place a plan for cooperative management that included continued monitoring of the status of the bears, their foods and habitat.

Judge Molloy ruled, however, that the regulatory mechanisms for management after delisting were inadequate to protect the population. Molloy also concluded that

the USFWS did not adequately consider the impact of climate change on grizzly habitat and foods in their delisting decision, in particular the widespread decline of whitebark pine throughout the ecosystem. Whitebark pine nuts are one of several important food sources for Yellowstone grizzlies. Although many research studies show a link between whitebark pine and grizzly survival, Molloy concluded that the USFWS downplayed these studies in their decision to delist. "There is a disconnect between the studies the agency relies on and its conclusions," he wrote.

Subsequently, the USFWS submitted a court filing asking Molloy to keep grizzlies off the threatened list, arguing that the manage-ment plans put in place on delisting would now be void, inadvertently placing grizzlies at greater risk. Members of the Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee suggest that Molloy misinterpreted the science. Chris Servheen, USFWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, said the agency has filed a request to amend or alter Molloy's decision based on “what we perceive to be errors in the decision.” The request, if Molloy rejects it, could precede an appeal by the federal government.

Photo by Derek Reich


Look for the Bart Memorial Campaign letter in your mailbox. You can also donate online at www.vitalground.org. We hope that in honor of Bart and his legacy of conserving critical habitat, all of our supporters will respond as generously as possible to the 2009 Bart Memorial Campaign.

brown bear, Bart wowed movie audiences around the world and was a beloved member of Doug and Lynne Seus’ family for nearly twenty-four years. His most important role was serving as “spokesbear” for the plight of his wild cousins whose survival hinges on protection of critical habitat. Bart’s spirit continues to inspire all those who knew him, and now Bart the Bear 2, Honey-Bump and Tank carry on in Bart’s giant footsteps.

Donors who choose to meet the Bart Chal-lenge by making a fi ve-year pledge to Vital Ground, at levels beginning at $1,000 per year, become members of the Bart Legacy Society and help provide ongoing capital support for Vital Ground’s mission of habitat conservation. Donations through the Chal-lenge help place Vital Ground in a strategic position to respond quickly and immediately to critical habitat conservation opportunities.

With new projects and partnership opportu-nities queuing up, Vital Ground needs your support now more than at any time in its history.

2009 Bart Memorial Campaign Coming Soon!This year marks our Tenth Annual Bart the Bear Memorial Campaign—Vital Ground’s year-end fundraising drive. Each fall we ask our members and donors to consider making a special gift either through the Bart Appeal, our annual giving drive, or the Bart Challenge, our fi ve-year pledge program. The annual campaign helps us raise essential capital for Vital Ground’s projects and general operations and launches us on a new year of land and habitat conservation. This year, all contributions to the 2009 Bart Memorial Campaign will count towards our overall Strength of Connections Campaign goal.

The Bart Appeal gives individuals the opportunity to make a donation at any level in memory of Bart, Vital Ground’s fi rst ambassador grizzly. A 1,500-pound Kodiak

Strength of Connections Campaign UPDATEVital Ground launched its first-ever capital campaign in June 2009. The $2 million Strength of Connections Campaign is Vital Ground’s largest, most ambitious conserva-tion fund raising effort since its founding in 1990, and will run until the end of 2010.

The goal of the Strength of Connections Campaign is to address the issue of habi-tat fragmentation in grizzly country head on by permanently protecting crucial private lands for the benefit of grizzly bears and other wildlife that share their range.

Despite the current challenges in the national economy, the campaign has kept a steady momentum. So far the campaign has generated about $650,000 in cash, pledges, and land value donations, or approximately one-third of our campaign goal. This includes a very generous pledge

of support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. This provisional grant—up to $196,000 via the Northwest Wildlife Conservation Initiative—is specifically to help us secure additional grizzly bear habitat at one of Vital Ground’s premier project areas, Bismark Meadows, located in the Selkirk Mountains of northern Idaho. The grant requires a 5:1 match and must be met by August 2010. Funds generated by the Strength of Connec-tions Campaign will help Vital Ground secure this generous grant and continue to

protect crucial habitat at Bismark Mead-ows and other key areas.

The Strength of Connections Campaign received a huge boost on October 3rd, when Doug and Lynne Seus presented Vital Ground with a $50,000 check, and launched the “Seus Challenge” by pledging an additional $50,000 if Vital Ground’s members would match it with new contributions by year-end (see Executive Director’s Corner, page 2).

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have contributed to the campaign. Your philanthropy show-cases the dedication that Vital Ground supporters have for preserving habitat and landscape linkages for the benefit of griz-zly bears and other wide-ranging wildlife.

If you would like to make a special contri-bution toward the Strength of Connections Campaign, please visit www.vitalground.org/strengthofconnections, or enclose a check in the attached envelope (please write “Strength of Connections” in the memo field).

$2,000,000xxxxxxxx

$,650,000xxxv

Photo by Lynne Seus

Donors to the Bart Appeal can receive a limited edition print of this photo of Doug Seus with Baby Bart, taken in 1977.


We can all learn from young Alexis about the spirit and goodness of giving, as well as the satisfaction of helping protect wildlife and wild places.

Strength of Connections Video Recognized by IWFFIn spring 2009, Vital Ground’s video The Strength of Connections was recognized by the judges of the 32nd Annual Interna-tional Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF) with an Honorable Mention for Conservation Message. We are very pleased to have been recognized and gratified that several hundred people from around the globe were able to view the video and learn about Vital Ground’s mission to protect and restore North America’s grizzly bear populations.

The International Wildlife Film Festival, the premier venue for wildlife filmmak-

ing and filmmakers, is held annually in Missoula, Montana, home base to Vital Ground. Often called the “Sundance” of the wildlife film genre, IWFF was the first wildlife film festival in the world. Today, it has the distinction of being the world’s longest-running wildlife film festival, attracting nearly 10,000 people each year.

The 33rd Annual International Wildlife Film Festival will be held May 8-15, 2010, with the theme Wildlife Filmmak-ing in the 21st Century: Media & the Message. Learn more by visiting www.wildlifefilms.org.

A special thanks to Vital Ground trustee John Swallow, advisory board member Derek Reich, and new trustee Joe Matza for making The Strength of Connections video possible. If you would like to view The Strength of Connections online, visit Vital Ground’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/forthegrizzly. DVD copies are also available by contacting us at [email protected] or 406-549-8650.

Photo courtesy Danyelle Mottram

Ten-year-old Alexis Mottram, an enthusiastic supporter of Vital Ground, donated her birthday money to the Strength of Connec-tions Campaign.

A Young Supporter with HeartIn August, Vital Ground received a $25 contribution toward the Strength of Connec-tions Campaign from one of our youngest supporters, ten-year-old Alexis Mottram. Alexis is actually a longtime Vital Ground supporter. Inspired by the Animal Planet documentary Growing Up Grizzly about Vital Ground founders Doug and Lynne Seus, Alexis has been donating to Vital Ground since she was fi ve!

“Alexis has always been ‘old’ for her age and has always loved animals,” her mother told us. “The show really helped Alexis under-stand the plight of grizzlies and their need for land. She asked me immediately after watching the show if she could donate all her birthday money to Vital Ground.”

Touched by this story and Alexis’ ongoing support of Vital Ground, our executive director, Gary Wolfe, sent a note to our board of trustees and advisors. Within moments of receiving the email, several responded with enthusiastic phone calls and emails wishing to match the $25 gift from Alexis, even though most had already contributed toward the campaign!

In a tough economic climate for fundraising, Alexis’ gift inspired us here at Vital Ground and reminded us of why we work so hard to save wildlife habitat.

Knight Inlet guide Robert Scriba recently published Seasons of the Grizzly in Knight Inlet, a collection of his stunning and intimate bear photography and his refl ections on the struggle for life of the bears, salmon and other wild creatures of the British Columbia rainforest. Bob has spent over 50 years in the coastal forest as a farmer, hunter and logger, and now as a guide and advocate for conservation.

Bob is generously donating $1 from each copy sold to Vital Ground for habitat conservation. Last May, he presented an initial check to Ryan Lutey, director of lands, during our 2009 Wild Bear Adventure at Knight Inlet Lodge. To order your copy of Seasons of the Grizzly, please visit Bear Mart online at www.vitalground.org.

Author and Knight Inlet guide Bob Scriba (R) presents a check to Vital Ground’s Ryan Lutey, donated from

the proceeds of Bob’s new book Seasons of the Grizzly in Knight Inlet.

New book, Seasons of the Grizzly In Knight Inlet,will benefi t Vital Ground

Photo by Chris Paige


ADVENTUREADVENTURE

BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADALocated in

2010 WILD BEAR

TO KNIGHT INLET


Picture yourself here ... See white-sided dolphins, seals,

sea

birds and other marine wildlife in

B.C.'s longest fjord.

Visit British Columbia's premiere grizzly viewing area withexpert guides.

Experience the wild coastal rai

nforest

and the rich world where mountains

meet the sea.

Please Join Us on our 9th Annual Wild Bear Adventure to Knight Inlet, May 15–21, 2010. You’ll enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the satisfaction of knowing that Knight Inlet Lodge donates tour proceeds to Vital Ground in support of our conservation mission. Limited to 30 participants, the trip books up quickly. Make your reservation today by calling Vital Ground at 406-549-8650, or visit www.vitalground.org for more information. Watch a video promo for our 2010 trip by visiting Vital Ground's YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/forthegrizzly

Watch grizzly and black bears as they forage undisturbed along the shoreline.

Explore the protected watersof Glendale Cove by kayak or tour boat.

View thundering waterfalls plummeting over sheer rock faces.

Enjoy the lodge's spacious rooms, cozy living areas, and four-star

cuisine fresh from the sea.

Booktoday!

Photos by: Christine Paige, Philip DeManczuk and Jamie Scarrow


A New Grizzly for theCabinet Mountains

On September 18, 2009, a female grizzly dove for freedom out of a culvert trap and into the bushes of her new home in the West Cabinet Mountains. The bear, tagged number

715, is the latest bear released by the Cabinet Augmentation Project and biologists hope she will help boost the perilously small population hanging on in this isolated mountain wilderness. Weigh-ing in at about 325 pounds and estimated to be about 10 years of age, this bear began her journey in the Whitefish Range west of Glacier National Park.

For the last several years, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have been working to relocate a small number of female grizzlies to the Cabinet Mountains to help boost reproduction. Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Foundation, biologists Tim Manley, Heather Reich and Derek Reich (who serves on Vital Ground’s Board of Advisors) have worked since 2005 to identify and capture candidate bears for relocation. They use a system of remote cameras linked to culvert traps to identify and capture female grizzly bears with no young or history of conflict—the criteria for the augmentation program.

“The Whitefish Range is a good location from which to relocate a bear because the habitat and food sources are similar to those in the Cabinet Mountains where bears rely on huckleberries as a primary food source,” says Wayne Kasworm, USFWS biologist. This female is the fifth augmentation bear to be relocated into the Cabinets since 2005.

The augmentation program began in the early 1990s with the release of four young female bears from British Columbia as a test to see if the bears would adopt the Cabinets as their home range and contribute to this imperiled population. Subsequent DNA sampling revealed that bear 286, one of the original augmentation bears, not only made the Cabinet Mountains her home range, but produced multiple offspring and her young also reproduced. With this evidence of success, in 2005 FWP and USFWS decided to continue the program by moving female bears from the more robust population in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem to the Cabinet Mountains. In total, nine bears have been relocated to the Cabinets since the program started.

Sadly, tragedy struck the Cabinet–Yaak grizzly population last year when two young augmentation bears were both killed in October by human-related activities (see Brown Bear’s World in the Spring 2009 Vital News). With that setback, the project biolo-gists decided that this year they would attempt to relocate only a single bear if an appropriate candidate was found.

Now that she has arrived, the movement of bear 715 will be monitored by a GPS collar that will pinpoint her location up to five times a day. Tracking her movements, says Wayne Kasworm, “will provide valuable information about habitat usage in an area where we have not had many collared bears in the past.”

—Sarah Canepa


2009 Cabinet Augmentation Project grizzly tagged 715, a 10-year old female, was relocated from the Whitefish Mountains west of Glacier National Park and released in the western Cabinet Mountains to boost that dwindling population.


Grizzly 715 gets a GPS tracking collar prior to her release in the Cabinet Mountains in northwestern Montana. Clockwise

from left are Wayne Kasworm (USFWS), and FWP biologists Tim Manley, Heather Reich, and Kim Annis.


Spirits of Glacier Griz and 'Maximus' Live On in the WildThis past summer, a legendary male grizzly on the Rocky Mountain Front was killed by an unknown poacher, and an habituated sow and her cubs were removed from Glacier National Park—the sow and one cub killed and the remaining cub moved to captivity. This article fi rst appeared in the Missoulian, August 27, 2009, and is reprinted by permission of the author.

When I ran into my friend Andy downtown last Friday morning, he didn't bother with pleasantries. His brow was furrowed with what I took to be disgust, or maybe anger.

"Can you imagine why some idiot would have shot that great old bear?" he asked.

I knew immediately that he was talking about: the magnifi cent old bear referred to as "Maximus" that had been found shot over on the east side of the mountains. The story had just been in the paper.

I shook my head.

"No, I don't know what it takes for a person to do something like that. But things like that seem to keep happening. I just have a hard time believing it," I replied.

The news last week was fi lled with bear stories. The drama surround-ing the imminent demise of the old sow grizzly known as the Old Man Lake female hung over the landscape like a dark cloud as Glacier National Park offi cials wrestled with dwindling options to keep her alive. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time. Even so, when it was announced that the 17-year-old bear had been killed and one of her cubs had also died in the attempt to capture them, those who had been following the story were saddened. None, I suspect, were more dismayed by the outcome than the folks who made the decision and those who were tasked with getting it done. For people who associate grizzly bears with wild country, it was little solace to learn that the surviving cub was destined to live out its life in a zoo in the Bronx.

There was already an eerie sadness in the air when news of the man-caused death of Maximus came down the pike.

People who have had the good fortune of watching a grizzly bear go about its business in the wild, far from the nearest highway, campground or barbed-wire fence, will tell you that the memory is a treasured one, a moment that fi lls the soul with wonder at the magnifi cence of those creatures. The fact that they endure, despite the inroads we humans have made on the vast range they once ruled and roamed at will, is remarkable.

I have been blessed that way. And those moments are there in my memory with a clarity that few other experiences share.

The way the light played on a bear's back. The lazy swagger as a bear worked its way through a patch of huckleberries. The powerful rolling muscles when a bear became aware of our presence and ran. The way the forest seemed to part for a bear, then swallowed it up.

These days, it is newsworthy when a grizzly ventures far out onto the plains where they once greeted the early thrusts of American western expansion. It is news when a solitary bear appears in a valley or mountain range from which they have long been absent. It is news when one runs afoul of a freight train or a vehicle speeding along a highway in the dark of night. And it is always news on those occasions when a human-bear encounter results in injury or death to the human. The fact that these incidents also invariably result in the death of the bear is not quite as newsworthy.

With every grizzly death I feel a peculiar sense of loss. Those great bears carry a wildness in their genes that I think we all yearn for in some way. Every time one of those animals is lost because of confl ict with us humans, I think we are all diminished just a little bit.

So, here's to the Old Man Lake female, and here's to Maximus. We were enriched by their presence in this corner of the world, and their bear spirits will remain an enduring part of the wild country that remains.

—Greg Tollefson

Greg Tollefson is Conservation Director for the Missoula-based Five Valleys Land Trust and a freelance writer. His column appears

each week in the Outdoors section of the Missoulian.

Grizzly photo by www.demanczuk.com Background photo by Randy Stekly

VITAL NEWS FALL 200914 14

On occasion, we would like to take the opportunity to introduce our members to conservation colleagues in grizzly country whose work complements the mission of Vital Ground.

Many of us have watched hawks at a distance, soaring high on the wind, or trained binoculars on an eagle perched in a tall tree. Yet few people have the opportunity to look directly into the piercing eyes of a peregrine falcon or take the full measure of an eagle’s wingspan.

Raptors of the Rockies is a small nonprofit that brings live raptors—a “teaching team” of hawks, owls, falcons and eagles—into classrooms and communities throughout western Montana. The program gives audiences an unforgettable opportunity to experience these enchanting birds up close while teaching them about raptor behavior and the need for their conservation. Children may encounter the fierce gaze of Max the enormous golden eagle or meet the diminutive Buster, a northern saw-whet owl. By seeing the details of

knife-like talons, hooked beaks, and finely preened feathers, audiences come to better understand raptors’ adaptations for hunting and their environment. As ambassadors for their wild cousins, these birds help instill admiration and respect for birds of prey and the need for habitat protection.

Kate Davis, a skilled raptor biologist, founded Raptors of the Rockies in 1988 and for 21 years has served as the sole director and program staff. As a young biology student, Kate was inspired to move to Montana by tales of grizzlies and the work of biologists John and Frank

Craighead. Although the Craigheads are famously known for their lifetime of research on bears in Yellowstone, they also spent years studying birds of prey. Their work brought us a deeper understanding of the importance of predators in all ecosystems—a message carried on today by Raptors of the Rockies.

Like grizzlies, raptors are apex predators and play an essential role as hunters of small mammals, birds, fish and insects. Wherever grizzlies roam, birds of prey sail the wind and course through deep forests. Gyrfalcons and grizzlies share the tundra, bald eagles and brown bears angle coastal salmon streams, while red-tailed hawks and peregrine falcons inhabit Rocky Mountain grizzly country. The healthy wild ecosys-tems vital to bears are also essential to wild bird populations.

With an extensive background in education and raptor rehabilitation, Kate provides high-quality care to 15 birds of prey of 12 species on her “raptor ranch” in the Bitterroot Valley. Most of these birds are permanently disabled and unable to be released into the wild, but now serve this vital role as educational ambassadors. Like the Craigheads, Kate is also a Master Falconer and she flies three falconry birds: Deja and Chesty, both Harris’s hawks, and Sibley, a peregrine falcon. These birds are also part of the teaching team—there are few sights so awe-inspiring as the 200-mile-an-hour stoop of a peregrine on her prey.

Raptors of the Rockies serves an important role bringing nature education to our schools and communities, inspiring curiosity about these magnificent predators, and promoting the conserva-tion of our remaining wild places. If you would like to learn more and help support their mission, visit Raptors of the Rockies at www.raptorsoftherockies.org.

—Christine Paige

Conservation Colleague: Raptors of the Rockies

Kate Davis (second from left) with her peregrine falcon, Sibley, and (L to R) John J. Craighead, Margaret Craighead and Jay Sumner with his peregrine falcon, Sara.


Photos by Kate Davis


Charitable Giving—Ideas that Make Economic SenseLooking for positive fi nancial ideas these days? In any economic climate, giving to charity can help you toward your fi nancial planning goals. There’s no magic involved: charitable giving can help you save on taxes. As you work with your fi nancial advisor, perhaps one of these charitable solutions will fi t your needs.

• Gifts of Cash—The easiest, most direct way to realize a charitable deduction in 2009, deductible on your federal income tax up to a value of 50% of your adjusted gross income.

• Gifts of Stock—Realize a twofold tax saving, fi rst by avoiding payment of capital gains on the value appreciation, and second through a deduc-tion for the fair market value of the stock on the date of the gift.

• Charitable IRA Rollover—If you are 70½ or older, 2009 tax rules allow you to make cash gifts totaling up to $100,000 per year from your traditional or Roth IRA to qualifi ed charities like Vital Ground without incurring income tax on the withdrawal. The current provision is effec-tive through tax year 2009 only.

• Gifts of Real Estate—A charitable gift of appreciated real estate can be to your advantage if its sale would incur a sizeable capital gains tax. If donated to Vital Ground instead, you can avoid capital gains and also realize a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the property. The gift of a “life estate” allows you to reserve the right for you and your spouse to reside on your property for your lifetimes. Through such an arrangement, you are entitled to a current income tax deduction for a portion of the fair market value of the property.

• Gifts of Life Insurance—Do you no longer need your life insurance policy? Consider it as a vehicle for a charitable deduction by naming Vital Ground as both the owner and benefi ciary of the policy. If the policy has a cash value, you can take a deduction approximately equal to the cash value at the time of the gift. If annual premiums are still to be made and you continue to pay them, those premiums are tax deductible each year. Check with your life insurance agent for details.

• Life Income Gifts—By making a life income gift such as a charitable gift annuity, you can donate cash, securities or real estate to conserva-tion and receive a steady stream of income in return. You can transfer assets now and yet continue to receive income from the assets contribut-ed. A life income gift is often made through a trust arrangement. Options include a “unitrust,” which provides an income of a fi xed percentage of the fair market value of the assets in the trust, or an “annuity trust,” which provides an income of a fi xed amount from the trust each year. Note that a life income gift may be preferable to a charitable bequest in your will.

• Bequests—If you are planning your will, a charitable bequest can help reduce federal estate taxes and provide tax savings to your benefi ciaries. Your attorney and fi nancial advisors can help you plan your legacy.

Planned giving with Vital Ground can help you meet your fi nancial objectives and provide lasting support to protect grizzly bears and the irre-placeable landscapes where they roam. Talk with your fi nancial advisor or attorney to see how these opportunities might apply to your circumstanc-es. For more detailed information, visit www.vitalground.org or contact us directly at [email protected] or 406-549-8650.

S I LV E R T I P L E G A C Y C I R C L E

Create anInspiring Gift

embers of Vital Ground’s Silvertip Legacy Circle make a lasting commitment to protecting crucial grizzly bear habitat by pledging support through wills, trusts or other types of planned gifts.

In 2002, Stormy Barton Apgar of Wyoming named Vital Ground as a benefi ciary to a charitable trust she established. A charitable trust lets you donate generously to a charity of your choice, and it gives you and your heirs a signifi cant tax break.

“Grizzly bears have always held a special place in my heart and I wanted to do something that would benefi t the bears for the long term. I conducted my research and everything I learned about Vital Ground impressed me. The board, staff and founders are good people and their conservation mission makes sense. I especially liked their approach to working with landowners that results in a cooperative situation that benefi ts everyone.”

Stormy believes that philanthropy is one of the most gratifying experiences in life. “It makes me feel good to know that this charitable trust will continue to support Vital Ground’s efforts when I’m gone.”

If you would like more information about the Silvertip Legacy Circle and the multitude of ways to include Vital Ground in your estate plans, please contact our Development Department at [email protected] or 406-549-8650.

M


TRIBUTES

In celebration of the marriage of Jenny Moellendorf and Shane McCullough

Sara Gress, James Hawbaker, Janine Hembree, Patrick and Mary Kay Kimmet, Darrel Moellendorf, Catharine Mudd, Gary Waddell, Shane Waddell.

In celebration of the marriage of Missi Pyle and Casey Anderson

Shannon McGuire

In celebration of Flash’s homecoming and in honor of his guardian, Karen Schwertfeler

Katharine Kohler-Yap

In honor of Andy Beerman and Thea LeonardThomas Beerman

In honor of Ethel BoyerLeigh Thomas

In honor of Bullis SchoolBanu Qureshi and Mike Jansa

In honor of CodyJackie and Glenn Cooper

In honor of Mark CormicanMaryevelyn Wilson

Tributes and MemorialsMany Vital Ground members choose to pay tribute to family and friends through an honorary gift or memo-rial. The gift may be made in honor or memory of a relative or friend, or in honor of a special occasion such as a birthday, wedding or wedding anniversary. To make a donation in honor or memory of someone or some occasion, please contact us at [email protected] or 406-549-8650.

Donations received as tributes or memorials, January 2008 through August 2009.

In honor of Nancy DavisAlfred Hoerig

In honor of Melissa KaplanCarol Chapman

In honor of Becky Carson KelleyAngela Allen

In honor of Anita KinsbauerMary Chisak

In honor of Robert G. LangerMichael R. Langer

In honor of Tom LeshendokMaureen Leshendok

In honor of MayaMaria and Fernando Salgado

In honor of MesaBeth and Nathan Greenbaum

In honor of Barbara O’Grady for the “Alexis Challenge”

Eric Bindseil

In honor of Molly ParentRobert or Carol Parent

In honor of Pam ParksDebra Rice

MEMORIALS

In memory of Ali OopRichard Fabian, Donna Hutchinson, Sherry Pannett, Matthew Ragon, Stacy Ragon

In memory of Julien Bucher Banu Qureshi and Mike Jansa

In memory of Dorrit DrbalBanu Qureshi and Mike Jansa

In memory of Gayer DominickDonna Antonio, Charles Ancona, Jack and Karen Armstrong, Judith Bromley, Jack and Luellen Charneski, Carol Erickson, Cole Grissom, Michael Hanson, Steve Lister, Ronald Matelich and Swithin McGrath, Patricia Dominick for Tim and Joyce Murphy, Christine and Keith Playstead, Brett Sisco Family, Jack and Jean Sisco, R. Peggy Smith, Eileen Yoshina and Matthew Grant, and Tracy Gerber for his grandchildren (from their lemonade stand): Ally, Olivia. Miles, Alexandra, Gardner and Georgia

In honor of Doug Seus’ birthdayTeresa Stech, John and Lori Swallow

In honor of SnoopySuzanne Freedman

In honor of Scott StrasserLarry Sawdy

In honor of Ron StricklandA. Harris

In honor of Dorothea Swallow Joe and Mary Matza

In honor of her Godparents, John and Lori SwallowOlivia Chuba

In honor of John SwallowKarey Maltzahn

In honor of Peggy TagesenErna Peterson

In honor of Gene and Jeff TingleChristina Fleming

In honor of Gabrielle Wilson for the “Alexis Challenge”

Kelly Wilson

In memory of Mike EllisRandall and Melody Ellis

In memory of Verne EklundBanu Qureshi and Mike Jansa

In memory of Peter Branner GetzLiz Hodson and Friends

In memory of her husband, Roger HobbieDianne Hobbie

In memory of Jane JohnsonBanu Qureshi and Mike Jansa

In memory of Joan Raetz and Abby PrattMary Theresa Knishka

In memory of Gayle StevensHeidi Allen, Diane Bode, Gary W. Bradley, Anne and Darrel Brodke, Elizabeth Brown, Robert and Karen Burks, Hank and Jill Chambers, Sarah Ellington, Susanne Felleson, Sue Ferguson, Peter Lozancich and Chelene Fortier, Laura Gaylord, Bettina Gyr,

Mari Heybroek, Mark and Theresa Holden, Michael Ingersoll, E. Marcie Jacobs, Lorri Karpinski, Thomas and Debra Lanning, Jennifer Larson, Elizabeth Lendrum, Kellie Leitch, Merv Letts, Rebecca Macchione, Randall and Ann MacDonald, Karen Maroney, William and Caroline Mayher, R. Brian McCollum, Rebecka Meyers, Cary and Karen Mielke, Steven and Kirsten Ott, Jenny Page, Elizabeth S. Palmer, Pediatric Radiology, Banu Qureshi and Mike Jansa, Melinda Ramsey, Jane Santora, Perry and Sally Schoenecker, Pamela Scinto, John and Lori Swallow, Lorene Voskinarian, John Wattenbarger, Deborah Whitney, Bern and Kelly Wilson, Sally White, Dale and Cathy Woolsey, Guy and Mary Zimmerman

In memory of Burt and Dorothy Swallow and Cathy Turner and in honor of John Swallow

Lee Berger, James Miller


Bear Mart

No computer? No problem. Give us a call at 406-549-8650 and we will be happy to send you a merchandise fl yer.

Now online at www.vitalground.org

Check outour great

selection of Christmas tree

ornamentsand much

more!

To view our full line of merchandise and fi ne art, please visit Bear Mart online at www.vitalground.org

Vital Ground Membershipsmake great Holiday Gifts!The northern Rockies encompass the last great expanse of native biodiversity in the lower 48 states. This region—often called “America’s Serengeti”—is the last stronghold of the threatened grizzly bear.

By purchasing a Vital Ground gift membership for a friend or family member—or getting one for yourself—you’ll be supporting an urgent international conservation effort to permanently protect private lands in the northern Rockies crucial to grizzly bear survival, wildlife movement and dispersal, and biodiversity.

Go to www.vitalground.org to purchase a membership today.

NEW MEMBER OPTIONS:

$25 SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER • Bart the Bear Jumbo Magnet• One year (two issues) of Vital News• E-mail alerts of bear news • Vital Ground bumper sticker

$35 BASIC MEMBERSHIP • All previous, PLUS• Bart the Bear Mouse Pad

$50 SUPPORTER• All previous, PLUS • Vital Ground logo T-shirt

$100 GRIZZLY FRIEND • All previous, PLUS• DVD copy of Real Grizzly documentary

featuring Jennifer Aniston

$250 CONSERVATIONIST• All previous, PLUS• Eco-friendly Vital Ground stainless steel

sports bottle

$500 BART THE BEAR LEGACY MEMBER• All previous, PLUS • Vintage poster of Vital Ground founder Doug

Seus and Bart the Bear—autographed by Doug!

$1000 HABITAT PROTECTOR• All previous, PLUS • Vital Ground duffel bag

$2500 HABITAT CONSERVATIONIST• All previous, PLUS • Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam, a

photographic journey by Florian Schulz

$5000 WILDERNESS STEWARD • All previous, PLUS • Engraved hardwood plaque recognizing your

support of Vital Ground• A personally signed thank you letter from Vital

Ground founders Doug and Lynne Seus

$10,000 GRIZZLY GUARDIAN• All previous, PLUS • "Bart's Paw" - Bronze track casting from the

original Bart the Bear


BROWN BEAR’S WORLD: HUMAN HAZARDSBROWN BEAR’S WORLD: STUDYING GRIZZLIES AND SALMON

ome activities, no matter how often you do them, never seem ordinary.

Last July I spent hundreds of hours next to the roaring McNeil River Falls in southwestern Alaska, watching brown bears stand patiently in the whitewater fi shing for chum salmon. The wind was often blowing 25 knots upriver, buoying several hundred wheeling gulls overhead. Feeling a fi sh bump into his legs in the whitewater, a bear pounced and snapped at the same time, catching a writhing six-pounder by the tail and pinning its body against one leg with his paw while he got it into his mouth. Once fi rmly clutched in his jaws, the bear carried the salmon to the shore to consume his catch. Hungry gulls landed a paw’s length away from him, eyeing the eggs squeezed out of the ripe fi sh while the bear bit into the fl esh.

Bears were always all around me, some as close as 25 feet. They moved with painstaking precision, avoiding confrontations with each other as they maneuvered to the best fi shing spot they could maintain without serious altercation. I had the privilege and joy to be able to just watch the kaleidoscope of bear activity with minimal impact to the events unfolding on the river.

I had been fortunate to manage the McNeil River State Game Sanctu-ary and Refuge for 30 years before retiring in 2005. The sanctuary protects a rich salmon spawning stream where Alaska’s largest concentration of brown bears gathers to feed on this protein bonanza each summer. While hundreds of salmon spawning streams in Alaska support brown bears, McNeil River provides visitors with the ability to view dozens of bears at close range but under highly controlled circumstances. Our work over the years at McNeil helped establish the ground rules for bear viewing that keep visitors safe and bears undisturbed.

Since retiring from my job at the sanctuary I’ve returned to volunteer. This past summer I spent the month of May assisting with cabin construction, and in July I was a research assistant to a graduate student’s project measuring salmon consumption by bears. In addition to direct observation, the grad student deployed a nocturnal infrared camera to help determine how successful bears were at night in their fi shing efforts. It turns out they fi sh all night quite successfully (keep-ing in mind that Alaskan summer nights are short and no darker than twilight). The camera data are especially valuable since there is very little information about any nighttime activity among bears, much less their fi shing success. We discovered that McNeil River Falls bear activity peaks between 8 and 11 p.m.

Our daylight vigils lasted 12 hours. At the peak of the season, we typically saw 35 to 45 bears fi shing at the falls which is about 150 yards in length. The most bears we saw at one time was 48. (About 15 years ago we saw the highest number of bears ever seen at McNeil Falls at one time, which was 72). This year the bears collectively caught more than 12,000 chum salmon over a period of 34 days. The highest number of salmon we observed caught by all visible bears in a single hour was 127.

One day we saw a bear we called “Derek” catch and eat 28 whole chum salmon and partially eat another 11 over a period of several hours. Each fi sh weighs between 6 and 8 pounds. So we conserva-tively fi gured that Derek ate over 200 pounds in those few hours. Given that Derek probably weighs about 1,000 pounds, he ate 20% of his body weight in one feeding bout! This feeding fi gure is higher than anything I’ve observed or found in the bear literature.

A study such as this helps to determine just how many salmon are consumed by bears. Surprisingly little is known about the effect of bears as anglers on salmon populations, and our information can help biologists who are responsible for managing salmon runs.

The number of brown bears in Alaska may seem ample to people in the Lower 48. However, on state land outside McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, Alaska is staging an unrelenting war on bears and wolves by increasing hunting bag limits, seasons, and methods, including the-not-so-subtle technique of aerial wolf hunting. It seems that Alaska is determined to go down the same path as Western states did decades ago when they extirpated predators. I’m reminded of an anonymous quote, “A sense of loss and a sense of appreciation often arrive simultaneously.” It’s fortunate that many people are now appre-ciating and accepting the role of grizzlies. Vital Ground members are the most effective advocates, with the greatest vision for a brighter future for grizzlies and whole ecosystems.

—Larry Aumiller

Photo by Larry Aumiller

Every year dozens of brown bears angle for spawning salmon at McNeil River Falls, Alaska.

Photo by L McNeil

Larry Aumiller serves on Vital Ground’s Board of Advisors. For 30 years he

managed Alaska’s McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, and is considered one of the

foremost experts on grizzly behavior. He was recently awarded an honorary doctor-

ate from University of Alaska Fairbanks.

S

VITALGROUNDBUILDING T -2, FORT MISSOULA ROAD

MISSOULA, MONTANA 59804

f a countryside can still support grizzlies, it will be good and wholeand rich and wild and free enough to support all the other

creatures struggling to hold on to a place in this world. —Douglas H. Chadwick


CONTACT US

Vital GroundBldg. T-2, Fort Missoula Road

Missoula, MT 59804

(406) 549-8650Fax: (406) 549-8787

[email protected]

Has your email ormailing address changed?

Please let us know!

Printed on PEFC certifi ed paper with soy-based inks. © The Vital Ground Foundation

The Vital Ground Foundation’s mission is to protect and restore North America’s grizzly bear populations by conserving wildlife habitat for future generations. In support of this mission, we:

• Protect lands that grizzlies need to survive, not only for bears but for all otherspecies that share their world;

• Work where human impacts encroach on some of the wildest placesleft on the continent;

• Target projects that conserve critical lands, sustain habitat connections, and reduce confl icts between bears and people;

• Ground our projects on current science and strong partnerships.

Please join us!As a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofi t, our success depends on you!

C O N N E C T I N G L A N D S C A P E S , C O N N E C T I N G W I L D L I F E , C O N N E C T I N G P E O P L E . ™

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