About Us

Our Mission

The mission of our collaboration under the banner “Island Park is Bear Country” is to promote awareness and bear-safe practices for the people who live in and visit Island Park, Idaho.

How it All Started

Three Island Park community groups are working together to raise awareness that Island Park is Grizzly and Black Bear country. Human-grizzly bear conflicts in the Idaho portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) have steadily increased since the late 1990s. Most of these conflicts occur in the northeastern half of Fremont County, ID, around the Island Park area. In 2022, a total of 10 grizzly bear mortalities occurred in the Idaho portion of the GYE; nine were human-related.

In May 2022, the Island Park and Fremont County community was galvanized when five grizzlies were euthanized in Island Park within one week due to becoming habituated to human food — drawing national media attention. A black bear was euthanized a few weeks later in a nearby campground for the same reasons. Locals were shocked.

Local groups had been working towards a bear-resistant container ordinance for two and a half years, with the support of Idaho Fish and Game. More than 200 people attended a public community meeting in 2021 on this issue. A petition for action drew more than 400 signatures. Community leaders presented the petition and met twice with the County Commission requesting action on unsecured trash-attracting bears. As of summer 2024, we still do not have an ordinance.

Photo credits: Top image by Charlie Lansche, Bottom image by Tracy River