Management

Management of grizzly bears in Alberta is the responsibility of the provincial government on provincial lands, and the federal government in the National Parks. Management is directed by Alberta's Wildlife Act, as well as by the Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Despite recommendations by government scientists since 2001, the grizzly is still managed as a 'big game' species in Alberta, although it is also listed as "may be at immediate risk of extirpation."

Grizzly Bear Recovery Planning Process

• 2001. The Scientific Subcommittee of the Alberta government's Endangered Species Conservation Committee recommends that the grizly should be designated a threatened species, due to low population size (around 1,000 bears), slow reproductive rate and limited connection with other populations.
• 2002. Endangered Species Conservation Committee recommends that the grizzly should be designated a threatened species. To date, this recommendation has still not been adopted.
• 2002. Multi-stakeholder Alberta Grizzly Recovery Team established to draw up provincial grizzly recovery plan.
• 2004. Draft Recovery Plan submitted to Alberta government. Includes a provincial population estimate of 700 bears, plus a recommendation that the grizzly bear hunt should be suspended. Plan then undergoes extended period of review.
• 2006. Spring grizzly bear hunt suspended.
• March 2008. Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan passed.
• April 2008. Grizzly Bear Recovery Team disbanded. The team was taken by surprise by this decisions, as the Recovery Plan had made it clear that the Team would be responsible for implementation of the plan.

Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan

The plan clearly points out the cause of the grizzly bear's troubles: “Human use of access (specifically, motorized vehicle routes) is one of the primary threats to grizzly bear persistence.” Objectives include:

• Limit the rate of human-caused mortality.
• Manage for open route densities of les than 0.6 km/ km² in high quality habitat and 1.2 km/km² in "all remaining grizzly bear range."
• Identify, track and maintain habitat for grizzly bears.
• Maintain, as a minimum, current provincial distribution and occupancy levels i.e., >= 228,000 km² of contiguous grizzly bear range. 
• The plan talks about the precautionary principle: "Erring on the side of caution will helop to ensure grizzly bear populations do not become irrevocably small."

The plan concludes that “Bears and humans can coexist on the same landscape if there is a willingness to conduct human activities in ways that are conducive to grizzly bear conservation.”

Implementation of the Recovery Plan

Many of the intitial steps towards grizzly bear recovery have been started:

• The spring grizzly bear hunt was suspended in 2006.
• A detailed 5-year DNA population census was carried out between 2004-08. Although it did not cover the Swan Hills area or parts of northwestern Alberta, it resulted in a final population estimate of 581 bears.
• Grizzly habitat has been mapped in considerable detail. "Core Areas" of grizly habitat have been identified, as per the recovery plan. ("Secondary Areas" have also been identified, although these were not included in the plan. Any grizzly habitat outside these areas will no longer be managed to maintain grizzlies.

Unfortunately grizzlies themselves are not much better off: little has been done to actually recover grizzlies on the ground, and nothing has been done to protect grizzly habitat or reduce access density. The Alberta government now rarely refers to grizzly recovery, preferring instead to use the term maintenance. Ultimately, grizzlies will only be allowed to recover in Alberta if enough people make it clear to their politicians that the great bear is important enough to protect.

 Check out AWA's Save the Grizzly website to find out more.