When you think of Yellowstone National Park, grizzly bears probably come to mind. Researchers are gearing up for a study looking at the trends of this bear population that has become quite the attraction.

Next week, the 'Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team' which consists of representatives from FWP, The Forest Service and various other organizations will head to Yellowstone National Park to bait and trap grizzly bears.

Their main objectives are to monitor the status of the grizzly population and what patterns they develop in their habitat. Bears will be trapped and briefly put under while the team will radio-collar them and collect various samples.

This study is not the first of its kind. The team has been doing such studies since the 70's.

“Grizzly bears in Yellowstone have international recognition so there is a lot of interest in this population and people really want to know the status of the population… is the population increasing or stabilizing and how bears in this ecosystem are doing,” said IGBS team leader, frank van Manen.

In the 70's the closure of open pit garbage dumps in the park caused the grizzly's mortality rate to sky-rocket. In 1975 there were only 136 grizzly's in the park but with studies like these and an aggressive recovery attempt there are now 700 to 800 grizzly's in the park.

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Central Montana’s pristine Smith River has been named among the most-endangered rivers in the nation by environmental advocacy group American Rivers, which cites the threat posed by a Tintina Resources copper mine proposed near one of the river’s tributaries.

American Rivers has ranked the Smith fourth on its annual listing, released today, which is intended to call attention to waterways subject to upcoming decisions about their fates.

Tintina, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, has proposed an underground copper mine and associated tailings facility on private land adjacent to Sheep Creek, at a site approximately 20 miles north of White Sulphur Springs.

In a preliminary economic assessment, the company estimates the Black Butte Copper Project would last 11 years and employ about 175 people, about the same number of workers as are employed by Meagher County’s agricultural sector.

American Rivers and other opponents are concerned that mining activity could result in acid mine drainage, toxic metal leaching and nitrate contamination.

“The State of Montana should not permit the copper mine unless it can be designed in a way that eliminates any risk to the river’s water quality and habitat,” American Rivers wrote in a report accompanying this week’s river listings announcement.

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