The Fish and Wildlife Service and BNSF Railway have finalized a plan intended to keep grizzly bears alive along a potentially dangerous 206-mile stretch of tracks in Montana.
With dozens of grizzlies reportedly having died on or around the BNSF tracks, the habitat conservation plan commits the company to undertake myriad safety measures through parts of what’s called the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, or NCDE.
Grizzly bears are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, a status reaffirmed by the Fish and Wildlife Service in the final days of the Biden administration. By preparing the habitat conservation plan, BNSF can obtain an incidental take permit that accommodates some unintentional harming of the ESA-protected bears.
The renewable permit lasts for seven years and allows for the “take” of a total of 19 grizzly bears, including up to nine females. Under the ESA, “take” refers to outright killing as well as harming or harassing.
