INTRODUCTION
Grizzly bears once roamed western North America from the Arctic to Mexico. Now the species is extinct in the southern and eastern portions of its historic range. The relatively unpopulated areas of British Columbia are one of the most important remaining refuge for these bears. An estimated 10,000 to 13,000, or half of the Canadian population of grizzlies, are found in British Columbia. However, much of the prime grizzly habitat include the fertile valley bottoms on the coast, where trees grow well, and the undeveloped wilderness areas being opened up for backcountry recreation experiences and logging. The government of British Columbia has implemented the Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy to protect this species and its habitats. Foresters have an important role to play in ensuring the survival of this species.
GRIZZLY BEAR CONSERVATION STRATEGY
Grizzly bears require large, undisturbed areas to survive. A home range for a mature grizzly can cover hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of square kilometres. Humans are encroaching on these contiguous tracts of land with rural and urban development, wilderness recreation, and with expanding road networks and logging development. These physical changes to the landscape and the increased presence of humans make the habitats less suitable for grizzlies.
The government's conservation strategy will focus on creating a network of ecosystems suitable for grizzly bears. This network will include special bear management zones in which activities will be carefully controlled or prohibited. Opportunities to delineate these zones will come from existing land use planning processes including Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMP), and Land Use Plans (CORE). Any withdrawals from the land base to create special management areas for grizzly bears will come only after consultation with the public, interest groups, and stakeholders. Other regulations and guidelines, including a Forest Practices Code guidebook, will ensure that logging activities have minimal impact on grizzly bear populations. If the strategy is successful, grizzly bear populations in British Columbia should remain stable. | |
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