Idaho

Brown bear populations in the lower to 48 states have been greatly reduced in numbers and their habitat has been fragmented by human development.

There are three major large 'islands' of bear habitat in the United States and adjacent Canada. These have been designated as the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE on map), Bitterroot (or Salmon-Selway) Ecosystem (SSE on map), and Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Ecosystem (or Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; GYE on map) Recovery Zones by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS 1993).

The cores of these areas are protected as National Parks (in both the U.S. and Canada) and Wilderness Areas. Additional lands around these cores are designated as grizzly bear recovery areas where maintaining viable grizzly bear populations is a management priority. Surrounding the recovery zones are some National Forest lands. Much of the National Forests are at present undeveloped. Some areas contain grizzly bear habitat and may support a few bears, other areas are only occasionally visited by grizzly bears.

Smaller islands of habitat exist, largely in Canada but extending over the U.S. border in the Cabinet Yaak Ecosystem (CYE), and Selkirk Mountains Ecosystem (SE).

These areas of habitat have been designated as Recovery Zones by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They have been determined to be sufficient to support a minimum brown bear population size recovery goal) deemed large enough to be self sustaining (USFWS 1993).

Between the three large 'islands' there are small 'stepping stones' of habitat that could possibly serve as corridors for movement.

A minimum of 25 to 36 bears (density of about 4.9 bears per 1000 square kilometers)) are estimated in the Selkirk Recovery Zone in both the U.S. and Canada, with a recovery goal of 90 bears on both sides of the border (USFWS 1993).

The Bitterroot (BE) or Salmon-Selway Ecosystem (SSE) has historically supported brown bear populations, but these bears were removed by direct killing and loss of habitat and prey (particularly salmon). A reintroduction effort is currently underway.

A portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (including the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone) lies in Idaho. Grizzly status in the GYE is discussed under Montana and/or Wyoming.

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