New Rules For Camping In Grizzly Habitat

The Forest Service has prepared final rules for camping in grizzly bear country, and they are less restrictive than an earlier version.

Several backcountry groups opposed to the original rules said they support the final set. The Forest Service intends to put them in effect immediately.

The rules, less restrictive than those in Glacier National Park, are supposed to help prevent bears from getting into food carried in by people.

The rules apply in the northern Rockies grizzly ecosystem, which takes in grizzly bear habitat in the Flathead, Lewis and Clark, Lolo and Helena national forests.

The rules require that campers in the backcountry and in developed areas keep food, including pet and livestock feed, away from bears in unattended camps. That can be as simple as locking the food in a car. But in some areas, food must be hoisted beyond the reach of bears, or packed in bear-proof containers.

Initially, the Forest Service wanted to require that campers store their food in a bear-resistant manner overnight, while the campers slept.

Under the final rules, campers do not have to take special measures at night if they remain in the camp. Leaving food where a bear can reach it in an unattended camp is prohibited.

The Forest Service has agreed to emphasize education over enforcement, with offenders more likely to get written warnings than fines.

The rules are supported by the Montana Wilderness Association, the Montana Wildlife Federation and two outfitters’ associations. The Flathead chapter of Backcountry Horsemen still objects to the rules, but other Backcountry Horsemen chapters approve of them, said Bill Maloit, a member of Backcountry Horsemen in Helena.