Farm Bureau Says Feds
Should Keep Own Bears

LARAMIE, Wyo. —(AP)— The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation opposes expanding the area set aside to protect grizzly bears.

Environmental groups favor expanding the bear's protected habitat area in western Wyoming, citing shortages of the grizzly's food sources, among other reasons.

The Farm Bureau contends federal managers have not looked hard enough at solving food source problems.

``It appears the government is attempting to increase grizzly bear territory on the basis of habitat needs, when it hasn't explored options that would improve the current habitat area, answering the needs of the bear,'' said Larry Bourret, Farm Bureau vice president.

Bourret said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could look at using lake trout in Yellowstone Lake and plentiful ungulates like elk in the park to supplement the bear's food sources.

Wyoming Farm Bureau officials have submitted their comments on the agency's habitat criteria for the recovery of the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Area.

Those criteria, released for public review in September, determine the habitat necessary for the predator's long-term recovery. They are the result of a court settlement with conservation groups that challenged the adequacy of the 1993 federal grizzly recovery plan.

The federal plan describes the necessary habitat conditions to lift their "threatened" designation.

Bourret said the section of the Endangered Species Act which provides for financial incentives to states and other interested parties is being ignored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Federal officials estimate there are 400 to 600 grizzly bears within that study area.