Survey Finds Strong Support For Grizzlies

The proposal to reintroduce grizzly bears to the Bitterroot Mountains along the Montana-Idaho border has overwhelming support locally, regionally and nationally, a survey has found.

Supporters greatly outnumbered opponents in all three categories of a survey that contacted more than 900 people for the Idaho Fish and game Department.

Sixty-two percent of the 311 local residents supported reintroducing grizzly bears to the Bitterroots, 33 percent strongly, 29 percent “moderately.” Only 26 percent were opposed, 18 percent strongly, 8 percent moderately.

“Local” meant residents of three Montana counties - Missoula, Mineral and Ravalli - and five in Idaho - Idaho, Clearwater, Lewis, Nez Perce and Shoshone.

Support was even stronger in the seven-state region, including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, Utah and Nevada.

Of the 306 people contacted, 73 percent were in support of returning grizzlies to the Bitterroots, and only 10 percent were opposed. Another 10 percent neither supported nor opposed the plan, and 7 percent did not know.

Strongest support of all - 77 percent - came in the nationwide survey of 302 people. Forty-two percent said they strongly favor reintroduction, and only 8 percent were opposed. Ten percent neither supported nor opposed the proposal and 4 percent did not know.

People were contacted by telephone June 9-24, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was conducting public scoping sessions for a planned environmental impact statement on the reintroduction plan.

The survey was conducted by Responsive Management, a Harrisonburg, Va., firm. Authors Mark Damian Duda and Kira Young reported a 95 percent confidence interval with a sampling error of plus or minus 6 percent. xxxx