April 30, 1998 Ravalli Republic Guest Commentary
The National Wildlife Federation survey put out misinformation telling the people the bears would be put in a remote wilderness area "where there was not a hint of civilization near by" (i.e. the Bitterroot Valley with its 34,000+ people living along the wilderness's east border coupled with Idaho's citizens in coutnies that border the southern and western borders of the SBE).
Concerned About Grizzlies brought this deception to the attention of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the summer of 1997 and were assured that responses obtained through misinformation would not be used.
As recently as January 1998, the U.S. F. W. S. official in charge of compiling statistics said the National Wildlife Federation petitions were not included. According to the April 23 Ravalli Republic article, they were included and made up 60 percent of the favorable responses January 12, 1999 these figures were quoted again to the Joint Committee in Helena, MT, Capitol Building, which is far from the truth.
Another question begs an answer: "Is there an adequate food source in the Bitterroot Selway Frank Church Wilderness for grizzly bears?"
Senator Conrad Burns of Montana and Senator Larry Craig of Idaho perused the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and immediately introduced a bill into congress requesting .$75,000 to conduct a study to see if the food source is available in the wilderness areas in question. The senators also included language in the bill which was subsequently signed into law by the president, that put a moratorium on the reintroduction of grizzly bears into the Bitterroot Selway Frank Church Wilderness until the studies are completed.
Might we suggest Science that is at the top of its game would have done this study first, not last and at the very least would have surveyed the literature and found studies, such as the one conducted by a doctoral candidate for his doctoral thesis, that suggests there is not an adequate food source for grizzly bears.
All of this has taken place because seemingly half truths and no truths in the DEIS (which is a blueprint for the final EIS that is scheduled for release in January 1999) had been postponed from its previous scheduled release date during the spring of 1998.
Concerned About Grizzlies, organizations in Idaho, and others, have lost confidence in the science, or pseudoscience if you will, being employed in the appraisal of the Wilderness areas in question.
Using the very best data available based upon clear and concise assessment of information that is available or made available by "effective science" is the only way the Public and the bureaucracy can make informed judgments and subsequently Sound decisions...
Concerned About Grizzlies
LaVern (Bud) Richard
Information officer
Hamilton