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Grizzly
Bear Outreach Project
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Local Group Conducts Bear Smart Assessment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, January 25th, 2005
Jim Davis (360) 705-1549
Several black bears were euthanized during 2004 in
eastern Skagit and Whatcom Counties. However,
rural residents are in an excellent position to prevent human-bear conflicts and
reduce this toll. This is the major
conclusion of a Bear Smart Assessment conducted by the Grizzly Bear Outreach
Project (GBOP) during the fall of 2004.
Human behaviors can
create human-bear conflicts. “A
human food conditioned bear behaves much like a dog begging at your dinner
table, one reward and he’ll be back for more,” said Chris Morgan, bear
ecologist and GBOP Co-Director. Relocation
of bears may be unsuccessful, with bears often returning to the same site.
Bears that become accustomed to eating food from human sources are
frequently killed to protect public safety.
Local residents interviewed for the Bear Smart
Assessment reported frequent, but only minor human-bear conflicts during 2004.
The assessment also found that simple human behavior changes and small
financial investments (e.g., fencing and bear-proof dumpsters) could resolve
almost all human-bear conflicts in the area.
The assessment revealed that human-bear conflicts are
most prevalent in and around the communities of Marblemount, Glacier, and Maple
Falls. Detailed studies of these
communities found excellent bear habitat in surrounding wild lands and
human-related food attractants in some communities.
Garbage management was found to be the most important
factor contributing to human-bear conflicts.
Inadequate dumpsters and poor sanitation practices in some campgrounds
and several outlying communities could result in future conflicts.
Inappropriate storage and disposal of household garbage in rural areas is
another potential source of human-bear conflicts.
Apple orchards and beehives were found to attract bears
and resulted in several human-bear conflicts during 2004.
Bird feeders and pet food were also recognized as bear attractants that
resulted in conflicts. No major
problems were reported for berry farms or ranches.
“Almost everyone contributing to the Bear Smart
Assessment said that they do not consider black bears to be a serious problem
and many said that they like to see black bears in rural areas of Skagit and
Whatcom Counties,” said Nan Laney, who conducted the assessment interviews.
An earlier telephone survey in the same area found that more than
three-quarters of adults supported grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades.
Elected
officials and local residents are encouraged to review the Bear Smart Assessment
Report and identify steps that can be taken in their communities to prevent
human-bear conflicts. “The GBOP
will provide support for communities, businesses, and families that would like
to achieve Bear Smart recognition,” said Jim Davis, GBOP Co-Director.
The GBOP is a community-based education project
providing accurate information on bears, the grizzly bear recovery process in
the North Cascades, and ways to make our homes, businesses, and communities bear
safe. The GBOP is funded by
multiple partners including the US Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest
Service, National Park Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, Defenders of
Wildlife, Seattle City Light, Wildtime Foods, Grizzly Industrial, Canopy,
and Woodland Park Zoo.
Results
from the Bear Smart Assessment are available at www.bearinfo.org/bearsmart.htm
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Additional
Background Facts About Grizzly Bears and Black Bears in the North Cascades and
United States
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Grizzly bears and black bears have been present in the North
Cascades for thousands of years.
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European settlers dramatically reduced grizzly bear populations
during the 1800s, while black bear populations have continued to thrive.
·
Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states have been protected under the
Endangered Species Act since 1975.
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There are approximately 1,200 grizzly bears currently in the lower
48 states, with most concentrated in the Yellowstone and Northern Continental
Divide ecosystems.
·
About five to twenty grizzly bears currently reside in the North
Cascades of Washington.
·
About 6,000 black bears currently reside in the North Cascades,
and are much more likely to be encountered than grizzly bears.
·
The North Cascades in British Columbia also harbors about five to
twenty grizzly bears.
·
There are plans to add five to six grizzly bears to the North
Cascades in British Columbia over the next few years.
·
No grizzly bears have been "added" to the North Cascades
in Washington.
·
Although adding grizzly bears to the North Cascades population is
cited by the North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery plan as a possible recovery
action, there is currently no plan to do so.
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The US Fish and Wildlife Service will have to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement with extensive public input before adding grizzly
bears to the North Cascades.
·
A recovered grizzly bear population in the North Cascades of
Washington would include 200-400 bears.
·
It would take up to 100 years to achieve a recovered grizzly bear
population in the North Cascades of Washington.
·
The diet of grizzly bears and black bears is about 90-95%
vegetation.
·
The US Fish and Wildlife Service considers every grizzly bear
observation in the North Cascades of Washington as critically important.
Sightings should be reported to 1-888-WOLF-BEAR.
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