Alexandrea Manuel, University of Montana

Few wildlife species are as deeply tied to Montana’s landscape and identity as the grizzly bear. Since the Endangered Species Act, recovery efforts have increased bear populations and their presence in urban–wildland interface zones¹. Missoula, Montana’s second-largest city (pop. 122,546), lies near the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and supports black bears (Ursus americanus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis)2,3. Black bear sightings within city limits are common from spring through fall.
Missoula also has a visible unhoused population, with 644 individuals locally (8,430 statewide) experiencing homelessness, with approximately 65% chronically unhoused4,5. In 2024, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Johnson v. Grants Pass, Missoula enacted stricter camping ordinances, including daytime dismantling requirements and buffer zones around residential and commercial areas6. These policies have contributed to unhoused relocation into more remote areas.
Despite growing attention to human dimensions of wildlife conflict, little research has examined bear interactions involving unhoused populations. Reports from the Associated Press describe heightened bear activity following shelter closures. Recent scholarship in natural resource management calls for incorporating unhoused perspectives. This study uses a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design grounded in a One Health framework to understand how Missoula’s unhoused community coexists with bears.
A mixed-methods approach integrates quantitative analyses of bear encounter data with qualitative focus groups exploring risk perceptions, safety practices, and structural constraints. Findings will inform community-driven bear safety resources and conflict mitigation tools.
By centering lived experience, this research expands human dimensions scholarship to include a highly mobile and marginalized population, informing more inclusive wildlife management strategies.