Hearings set on proposal to delist Louisiana black bear

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold two public hearings in Louisiana to give the public opportunities to comment on its proposal to delist the Louisiana black bear.
The USFW is seeking comments regarding biological data, relevant data concerning any threats, and the extent of federal and state protection and management that would be provided to the bear as a delisted species. Other requested comments concern current or planned activities that may impact or benefit the bear.
The first public hearing will be held in Tallulah June 23 from 7-9 p.m. at the Tallulah Community Center, 800 North Beech St.
Another public hearing is scheduled June 25 in Baton Rouge. This hearing will be from 7-9 p.m. at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Headquarters, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge.
An Open House will be held an hour before each public hearing to give people opportunities to ask questions about the proposal.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to this meeting for all participants. Please direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, close captioning, or other accommodation needs to Deborah Fuller, Deborah_Fuller@fws.gov, 337-291-3124, TTY 800-877-8339 with your request by close of business June 19, 2015.”
For more information about the Louisiana black bear and the proposal to delist it, please see http://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/mammal/louisiana-black-bear/
Once on the brink of becoming endangered, the Louisiana black bear is unique to Louisiana, western Mississippi and eastern Texas. When it was listed in 1992 because of habitat loss and other threats, the three known breeding subpopulations were confined to the bottomland hardwood forests of Louisiana in the Tensas, Upper and Lower Atchafalaya Rivers Basins. Today those original subpopulations have all increased in number and have stable to increasing growth rates. A fourth breeding subpopulation in Louisiana, located between the Tensas and Upper Atchafalaya subpopulations, is facilitating movement among the other two subpopulations. This has substantially increased the long-term outlook for the Louisiana black bear. Additionally, many other breeding subpopulations are forming in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Due to federal, state and private efforts, the threat of habitat loss has been significantly reduced, and in many cases, reversed. A large proportion of habitat supporting and connecting breeding subpopulations has been protected and restored voluntarily through private landowner restoration efforts.