Montana officials want everyone to have enough time to comment on the state’s draft grizzly bear and wolf management plans. To do so, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) has extended the public comment deadline to March 9 to ensure that all Montana counties, Tribes, state and federal agencies have time to provide input on the 2024 Grizzly Bear Management Plan and Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, according to a news release.

“Wolves and grizzly bears are iconic and controversial species,” said MFWP Director Dustin Temple. “We want to ensure that everyone who has a stake in how these two species are managed can have a chance to comment on our draft plans before they are final.”

The grizzly bear plan informs management statewide, specifically focusing on the 30 counties where grizzly bears have been confirmed in recent years or where wildlife managers believe they will appear in the near future. While they still retain federal protections under the Endangered Species Act, the plan acts as a way to inform state management and addresses how to manage grizzlies should they become delisted and full management is transferred back to the state.

The wolf plan calls for the establishment of 450 wolves to ensure 15 breeding pairs in the state. It shifts its key counting metric to focus on this new number with the understanding that population estimates will be determined using the peer-reviewed Integrated Patch Occupancy Modeling method, or iPOM. The plan also outlines the depredation prevention and response program.

If you’ve already commented on either plan, there’s no need to resubmit your comment. This is really just an extension to ensure that everyone who wants to weigh in has done so before the plans are finalized.