People's Perceptions of Grizzly Bears

A happy GBOP audience of kids. But what do adults in the recovery zone think about grizzly bears?

Just what do local rural residents think about bears and the process of recovery (conservation actions that lead to an increased number of bears)? 

Much of our work entails understanding people's perceptions of bears. Having a good knowledge of what local residents think and know about grizzly bears allows us to create the best possible education program that meets real needs on the ground. That's why we conduct detailed surveys in and adjacent to the North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone. Some of the findings may surprise you, including the fact that our last telephone survey of more than 500 NW recovery zone residents revealed 79% support for recovery!

Here are some links to our findings:

1. The GBOP Knowledge and Attitude Survey Report December 2003. (>500 rural residents surveyed in the NW North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone). Click here for 500kb pdf. 

2. The GBOP Knowledge and Attitude Survey Report June 2005. (>500 rural residents surveyed in the NW North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone). Click here for 500kb pdf. 

3. The GBOP Bear Smart Assessment report, January 2005. Includes a summary of people's attitudes towards bears in the context of Bear Smart (a program to minimize non-natural food attractants in and around communities). Click here for 1200kb pdf or click here for a regular html website page of this report.

For general information about GBOP, click here.

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Copyright © 2003 ~ 2007 GBOP. 
Our sincere thanks to Matthew Felton, John Hechtel, Kerry Lagueux, Wayne Lynch, Chris Morgan, John Serrao, & Chris Weston, for kindly donating their images and to Chris Smith for generously hosting this site.

Thank you to our contributors:

US Fish and Wildlife Service |  Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife | Seattle City Light | Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act | Conservation Northwest | Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle | USDA Forest Service | Defenders of Wildlife | Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee | REI | National Park Service | WILDTIME Foods Grizzlies Brand | Grizzly Industrial | Canopy | Counter Assault | Living with Wildlife Foundation | Sanitary Service Company | Foothills Gazette |   Links to these sponsors.