Alberta designates grizzly bears a threatened species

The Alberta government has designated grizzly bears as a threatened species in an effort to better protect the bears and sustain the provincial population.

The designation is based on cutting-edge population research and habitat data, as well as a recommendation from the Endangered Species Conservation Committee (ESCC), a group of stakeholders including ranchers, industry, academics, wildlife managers and conservation interests.

“I would like to thank the broad group of partners and staff who assisted in gathering population and habitat information to provide an excellent snapshot of the status of grizzly bears in Alberta,” said Mel Knight, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. “Their research allowed a thorough population assessment and has provided the necessary baseline to compare future work.”

An independent scientist prepared an updated status report that incorporates a broad range of population and habitat information. This information included Alberta government-sponsored DNA population surveys and satellite mapping of core and secondary habitat. The ESCC recommended the designation based on criteria of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which address population size, population declines, the extent of species’ distribution, how much area is occupied, and potential natural and human-related threats to the populations.

Grizzly bears were recognized in Alberta as a species that may be at risk as early as 2000. A recovery plan was initiated in 2002, followed by steps to collect better population and habitat data. Government committed to improving data gathering, reducing human-bear interactions and managing habitat. The DNA population survey technique, used in B.C., and throughout the U.S., was used in Alberta as the primary tool to reliably document grizzly bear populations. The recovery plan was published in early 2008.

Future conservation actions under Alberta’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan include enhancing the province’s BearSmart programs, coordinating research and limiting access to selected roads in grizzly bear habitat. In specific Wildlife Management Units, the hunt may resume once the recovery plan criteria for population and wildlife management objectives have been met. The hunt has been suspended since 2006.

“We share this province with grizzly bears and are committed to ensuring grizzly bears remain part of Alberta’s landscape,” said Knight. “We have been working directly with stakeholders and the public to reduce human-bear interactions and help control access to habitat. Everyone living, working in or just visiting bear habitat has a role to play in conservation.”

Edited by Tapa Menon