A bid to scrap a plan to reintroduce grizzly bears along the Montana-Idaho border was overwhelmingly rejected by the public, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although 98 percent of the 28,000 comments supported reintroducing grizzlies to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, a representative for Interior Secretary Gale Norton said this week that the final decision would be based less on public opinion and more on “the policy, the science, and the needs and desires of local elected officials and citizens who would be most affected.” The Clinton-era reintroduction plan won the support of environmentalists, but drew criticism from local officials and ranchers, who expressed concern about conflicts between bears and livestock, or bears and people. Meanwhile, the grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park are enjoying a record breeding year.
