Louisa Willcox: Hope of recovery of grizzly bears in central Idaho is not lost
It is growing increasingly obvious the major threat to grizzly bears is lack of habitat. As the quality of their food sources declines, the same amount of country will support fewer bears. As a result they range more widely and get into trouble as Western development continues to expand into their habitat.
Well there’s not much that can be done about that, right?
Wrong. There’s central Idaho, a huge grizzlyless expanse full of good habitat and not many people. Plans were to begin to restore them them to the area in the early 1990s. Then came governor Dirk Kempthorne, a man of almost no outdoor experience. He protested so loudly about the danger they posed, almost as if they would attack his home in Boise that the plans to restore them were shelved. Now he is Secretary of Interior, but this awful regime will only last one more year, then maybe things can get back on track.
With grizzlies occasionally migrating to the area, Louisa Willcox writes that there is hope yet.
Louisa Willcox: Hope of recovery of grizzly bears is not lost

Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
3 Responses to Louisa Willcox: Hope of recovery of grizzly bears in central Idaho is not lost
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Recent Posts
- Protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Wildlands January 18, 2021
- An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit January 5, 2021
- Ochoco Forest Deceptions For Logging January 3, 2021
- Scientists Critique BLM Tri-State Fuel Breaks Proposal December 29, 2020
- Critique of “Fire Suppression” Mythology December 24, 2020
Recent Comments
- Maggie Frazier on Does Cattle Grazing Preclude Large Blazes?
- Maggie Frazier on Does Cattle Grazing Preclude Large Blazes?
- Maggie Frazier on Protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Wildlands
- Ida Lupine on Protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Wildlands
- Ida Lupine on Wolverine ESA Listing Effort Demonstrates Political Influence
- Maggie Frazier on Livestock industry’s campaign to get rid of wild horses is a scam to cheat the taxpayers
- Maggie Frazier on Livestock industry’s campaign to get rid of wild horses is a scam to cheat the taxpayers
- Maggie Frazier on Livestock industry’s campaign to get rid of wild horses is a scam to cheat the taxpayers
- Maggie Frazier on An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit
- Greta Anderson on An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit
- Maggie Frazier on Scientists Critique BLM Tri-State Fuel Breaks Proposal
- rastadoggie on Ochoco Forest Deceptions For Logging
- Jean taylor on Ochoco Forest Deceptions For Logging
- Beeline on An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit
- Laurie Ness on An open letter to the Oregon Bureau of Land Management on Hammond Ranches, Inc. proposed permit
Lets not stop at Central Idaho, lets get some grizzlies in Southwest Idaho too.
Let’s let a few wander over to Washington State too.
And Oregon too. That will give the wolf haters over there more to complain about…..sorry i know this is off topic.