MFBF reaffirms support for grizzly bear local control

BOZEMAN, Montana — The Montana Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) has submitted formal comments to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding proposed regulatory updates for grizzly bear management. MFBF praised the agency’s effort to expand local authority while offering constructive feedback to ensure working lands and rural families are fully protected.

"MFBF appreciates the Service's intent to provide additional local authority through these proposed updates," stated MFBF President Cyndi Johnson. "We recognize that grizzly bear recovery has involved significant challenges, and we appreciate the Service's acknowledgment of the work accomplished by those on the ground, including members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, state wildlife officials, and our members."

MFBF welcomed the flexibility of state-tailored Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) but urged USFWS to establish clear timelines. metrics and criteria for state tier designations to prevent delays in implementation. In addition, MFBF recommended adding livestock—including bees and livestock protection dogs—to the rule's excepted take provisions, referencing Montana’s existing framework under state law.

The comments highlighted that waiting on federal authorization during active conflict with bears risks additional crop damage, livestock losses and dangerous human-bear encounters. Johnson encouraged delegating management authority to local levels and private citizens where appropriate, governed by population monitoring and set quotas. They also called for management tools beyond relocation.

MFBF urged USFWS to expand the definition of "anthropogenic food sources" to include agricultural crops and grain bins and encouraged them to broaden the language from "regulated" to "legal" trapping to reflect state law accurately.

"For our members who live and work in grizzly bear country, human safety must remain the highest management priority," Johnson, a Conrad wheat farmer, added. "Maximizing local decision-making is a critical component of achieving that goal. Our members have long advocated for state management of grizzly bears, and we are hopeful that these proposed updates will provide states with the flexibility needed to prioritize human safety, address local management challenges, and make decisions at the level closest to the people who live and work alongside grizzly bears every day."

MFBF thanks their members, whose daily lives are affected by the bears, for also submitting comments to the USFWS.