A Bear that Transcended Boundaries: 399 and the BTNF

“399 was most often seen in Grand Teton National Park, but the Bridger-Teton National Forest was important to her life, too,” says BTNF North Zone wildlife biologist Ashley Egan. It is believed that 399’s den was deep in the Teton Wilderness, one of three wilderness areas within the BTNF’s 3.4 million acres. “And, as the population of grizzly bears increased, 399 appeared to be at the forefront of an expanding range going south from GTNP,” Egan says. “That’s the BTNF.”

“While her home range was centered on Grand Teton National Park, Grizzly 399’s movements beyond park boundaries illustrated the critical importance of ecosystem connectivity,” says Justin Schwabedissen, a GTNP/John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway bear biologist. “Even a national park like Grand Teton is not large enough to encompass entirely the home ranges of grizzly bears who need substantial areas across which to access seasonal foods, raise cubs, find mates, and prepare winter dens. Partnerships like Bear Wise Jackson Hole, a collaboration between Wyoming Game and Fish, Grand Teton National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, Teton County, and the Town of Jackson, are essential to coordinate our efforts and advance bear conservation at an ecosystem level.”

But, as important as the BTNF was to 399 and her cubs, she was also important to the BTNF. “Given her prevalence and popularity across the GYE and nation, she helped facilitate coexistence on the BTNF. The result saved the lives of other bears,” Egan says.

It was because of 399 and other roadside bears that the BTNF started its Wildlife Bear Ambassador program in 2020. Simultaneously, the BTNF began to amplify its bear aware messaging and partner with organizations like BearWise JH and Friends of the Bridger-Teton to do things like air bear-aware PSAs on 1710AM, FBT’s radio station, educate campers about proper food storage, and install new signage at trailheads. “She also helped make the presence of grizzly bears more accepted in our community, given she was no stranger” Egan says.

Schwabedissen adds, “Perhaps more than any other bear, Grizzly 399’s travels through Jackson catalyzed the community to action, and together we have made good progress with revised land development regulations, town ordinances, and food storage orders on public lands, all requiring attractants to be properly secured. However, there is still more work we can do across boundaries to protect bears by investing in bear-resistant infrastructure, working with our neighbors to create bear-wise communities, providing bears space to move across the landscape unimpeded, and recreating safely in bear habitat.”

Egan says, “399’s legacy will live on because of the awareness she created about grizzly bears. There are other bears alive today that would not be if 399 wasn’t the ambassador for her species that she was. She’s a conservation icon.”