Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Christy Clark joined Teton Farm Bureau leaders Thursday evening in Choteau to walk landowners and producers through a proposed federal rule that would hand the state significantly more authority over grizzly bear management in two of Montana’s four recovery zones.
The event, hosted by FWP and the Teton Farm Bureau at the Choteau Country Club, drew residents from the Rocky Mountain Front — a region where grizzly bear populations have expanded steadily for years and conflicts with livestock and agriculture have become an ongoing concern.
The Proposed Rule
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the proposed rule the day after the town hall, following an announcement by Governor Greg Gianforte and Interior Secretary Doug Bergum three days earlier. The proposal would give Montana expanded management flexibility over grizzly bears in the two recovery zones that have already met population objectives: the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Under the proposed changes, Montana would assume management authority in those two zones provided the state adheres to established population objectives and mortality thresholds. The proposal also represents a departure from current federal regulations by allowing incidental take of grizzly bears resulting from regulated trapping.
The two remaining recovery zones — the Bitterroot and the Cabinet/Yaak — have not met population objectives, and the proposed rule would leave management of those areas largely unchanged.
Montana completed a statewide grizzly bear management plan in 2023, laying the groundwork for eventual state control. Federal delisting, which would formally remove grizzlies from Endangered Species Act protections in areas where recovery targets have been hit, remains the longer-term goal.
Clark’s Message to the Crowd
Clark acknowledged the frustration many landowners feel about the pace of the process. “I know it seems like we are going way too slow,” she said, “but this next step is critical. We have to do this right or we’ll never reach delisting.”
Her remarks framed the proposed rule not as a final resolution but as a necessary procedural step toward giving Montana full authority over its grizzly population — a goal that agricultural interests along the Front have long pushed for as bear numbers have grown and livestock depredation incidents have increased.
Farm Bureau Response
Teton Farm Bureau President Cody Shick emphasized that for many of his members, this is not an abstract policy debate. “Our members have lived with grizzly bears for generations and have experienced firsthand the challenges that come from too many bears on the landscape,” he said.
The Farm Bureau has been among the most consistent voices calling for greater state authority and, ultimately, delisting — arguing that local and state managers are better positioned than federal regulators to balance wildlife recovery goals with the practical realities facing ranchers and rural communities in grizzly country.
What Comes Next
A public comment period on the proposed rule runs through August 17, giving Montanans, tribal nations, neighboring states, and other stakeholders the opportunity to weigh in before any final rule is adopted. FWP and federal wildlife officials are expected to review comments and respond before finalizing any changes.
The Choteau town hall is part of a broader effort by state officials to keep affected communities informed and engaged as the federal rulemaking process moves forward. Similar outreach may follow in other communities along the Rocky Mountain Front and in areas near the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The grizzly debate sits within a wider conversation about how Montana manages its wildlife resources and what role state government should play relative to federal agencies. Governor Gianforte has made expanded state control over federal lands and wildlife a consistent priority, and the proposed rule represents one of the more tangible steps toward that goal taken by the current administration. Producers and landowners across the region will be watching closely as the comment period closes and regulators begin shaping a final rule.
