In Episode 6 of District of Conservation, I interviewed Joe Kondelis of Western Bear Foundation. Joe serves as president and CEO of the organization, which is dedicated to the conservation of western bears like the grizzly. Here’s more about the organization:
The Western Bear Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that operates in the Rocky Mountain West. We are dedicated to the protection & development of bears, bear habitat, & bear hunting in the Western United States.
The WBF was developed primarily out of a lack of support for the bear hunter & black bears in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Secondly, due to the overwhelming success of the grizzly bear recovery it is essential to study & better understand the black bear & their habitat, more importantly how the black bear can co-exist with a much larger predator in the grizzly bear. The recent success of the grizzly bear has also created a management issue and more importantly an opportunity for sportsman/women in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming to hunt this remarkable species.
As we move forward as a respected organization representing all that it is bears in The Rocky Mountain West, It is our vision to leave future generations of sportsman with a better opportunity to share and grow our hunting heritage.
Listen to the episode below:
Here’s the gist:
- Joe discussed Western Bear Foundation’s mission statement and why the group exists
- Joe talked about the problem with judicial review interfering with managed grizzly hunts
- Joe offered a defense of big game hunting
- Joe discusses the future of conservation if the Endangered Species Act isn’t reformed to accurately reflect the health of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem strain of grizzly bears
Learn more at www.WesternBearFoundation.org and follow them on social media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/westernbearfoundation/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/westernbearfoundation/
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