Grizzly Foundation

GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION
Report of the
Board of Inquiry
Michael Audain
Stuart McLaughlin
Suzanne Veit
February 2017
Acknowledgements
The Board of Inquiry wishes to extend special thanks
to Chantal Shah, Executive Director of the Audain
Foundation, whose assistance in organizing the public
meetings is particularly appreciated. Carol Smith,
Secretary to the Board, has played a valuable support
role to this inquiry and she has been an integral
member of our team. We thank the many individuals
and organizations that have contributed to our work:
we could not have completed this report without
your assistance.
The Audain Foundation has made a grant to the
Grizzly Bear Foundation which provided financial
support to the Board of Inquiry.
Support
The Grizzly Bear Foundation is a Canadian registered
charity that is authorized to issue charitable tax receipts.
Our registration number is 83975 8398 RR0001.
You are welcome to donate by cheque to:
Grizzly Bear Foundation
900 1333 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6H 4C2
You can also donate on our website at:
www.grizzlybearfoundation.com
Printed on 100% post consumer

recycled and Forest Stewardship
Council certified paper
Cover Photo by Jim & Doria Moodie

Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5. Summary of Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
A. This Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Recommendations to the Grizzly Bear Foundation . . . . . . . . 53
B. The Importance of Grizzly Bears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Ecological . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Cultural and Spiritual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Economic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Recommendations to the Federal Government . . . . . . . . . . . 54
C. Government Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Recommendations to the Provincial Government . . . . . . . . . . 54
First Nations Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Recommendations to BC Local
The Provincial Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 and Regional Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Local and Regional Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Federal Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Appendix A: What We Were Told . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
2. Our Assessment of the Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1. Habitat and HumanBear Coexistence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
A. Habitat Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 A. Insight on Threatened Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Human Impact on Grizzly Landscapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 B. Connectivity of Bear Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Parks and Grizzly Bear Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 C. Forestry and Industry Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Bear Food Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 D. Coexistence Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
B. HumanGrizzly Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 E. C onnecting People to their Land Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
What Underlies the Difficulties F. Cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
in HumanBear Relations? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 2. Those Unopposed to Grizzly Bear Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Social Challenges and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 A. BC Wildlife Federation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
C. Provincial Government Management Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 B. Guide Outfitters Association of BC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Population Estimates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 C. Individual guide outfitters, hunters and trappers . . . . . 70
Weak Compliance and Enforcement Capability . . . . . . . . . 30 D. Kootenay Livestock Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Conservation Funding Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 3. Those Opposed to Grizzly Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Organizational Fragmentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 A. Ethical arguments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
B. Ecological Concerns about Grizzly Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . 76
3. Grizzly Bear Hunting: C. Political Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Conservation and Ethical Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 D. Economic Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
A. Is Hunting Grizzlies a Conservation Issue? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 E. Bear Viewing Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
B. Is Hunting Grizzlies an Ethical Issue? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 F. Human Attitudes: Charlie Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
C. The Board of Inquirys Position on the Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 G. Harmonization of Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
4. Bear Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Appendix B: List of Submitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

1
Photo by Arkusm
Kootenay National Park, BC
Introduction
A. This Inquiry Support for the bear viewing industry and its growth in
a responsible manner, including the potential for increased
The Board of Inquiry employment opportunities.
was established in The future of grizzly bear survival in British Columbia.
The Grizzly Bear
September 2016 by the Foundation is Canadas During the Fall of 2016, the Board held public meetings in
newly formed Grizzly only charitable
Cranbrook, Prince George, Fort Nelson, Vancouver, Prince
Bear Foundation to organization dedicated
Rupert and Victoria. We also received a number of oral
review the status and solely to the welfare
and written submissions from people and organizations
future of the grizzly bears of grizzly bears (Ursus
arctos). It supports the who did not attend the meetings but wished to share their
of British Columbia in
preservation of grizzly views. This process allowed us to hear from a wide variety
order to set the direction
bears through research, of individuals and groups including conservationists, First
for the Foundations
public education and Nations, hunters, guide outfitters, ranchers, trappers,
work. This threeperson
conservation. and artists including wildlife photographers. In addition,
Boardcomposed of
the Board met with representatives of the Ministries of
MichaelAudain(Chair),
Environment; of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource
StuartMcLaughlin and
Operations; and of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. We also
SuzanneVeithas sought information and advice from a
talked with independent bear biologists and a number of
broad group of BC residents and organizations regarding:
nongovernmental organizations dedicated to the wellbeing
Threats to British Columbias grizzly bear populations of the grizzly bears. We have studied the latest scientific
including habitat fragmentation and loss, hunting, literature on grizzly bears including the recently published
food source depletion, climate change, poaching and Scientific Review of Grizzly Bear Harvest Management
traffic accidents. System in British Columbia (2016) commissioned by the
Humanbear interaction. provincial government.
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 1

Soliciting input on the future of the bears from a wide range To fully capture the essence of these diverse views,
of interested individuals and organizations has been a useful, in Appendix A on page 57 we have summarized the
and we believe an essential, step in understanding the many submissions and input made to the Board of Inquiry.
importance of the grizzly bear to our province and, indeed, We encourage those interested in the future of the bears
to Canada and North America. The views presented to us to review and consider these different points of view.
touched on everything from the provincial governments
As we pointed out to all participants in this process, we
grizzly bear management system, the legal hunting question,
are not grizzly bear experts, and this is not intended as a
the issue of access to the backcountry for resources and
scientific report. We are residents of BC who want to ensure
recreation, to many other components that combine to
that there is a future for grizzly bears. We sought advice
determine what the status and future of grizzly bears in our
from scientists and others who have knowledge of grizzlies
province willbe.
in order to determine how best our new organization can
add to the many efforts already underway by numerous
dedicated people and organizations. Most of these focus
their activities on specific regions of the province, for
instance on the Coast or in the Kootenays. The Grizzly Bear
Foundation will assume a provincial perspective and plans
to be active everywhere in the province where grizzly bears
live. It is also the intent of the Grizzly Bear Foundation to
work closely with all individuals and groups committed to
the future of the grizzly bear.
Based on all the information gathered over the past few

months, we include our assessment of the main threats
and outline where we believe the Grizzly Bear Foundation
can help. In addition, we include some suggestions to
governments that we believe could assist in a combined
effort to ensure the long term welfare of our grizzly bears.
We have learned much from this process. But we still have

a lot to learn about the complex relationships that define
our evolving human relationships with grizzly bears. We have
heard about the long standing and respectful relationship
between First Nations and grizzly bears but we realize we
also have more to learn in this area and look forward to
establishing strong working relationships between First
Photo by Mick Thompson. Atnarko River, Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, BC. Nations and the Grizzly Bear Foundation.
2 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

Our knowledge of the issues facing Figure 1: Shrinking distribution of the grizzly bear during postglacial,
ranchers operating in grizzly country is historic and present time.
not complete. We have heard about some Sources: Feldhamer, George A., Bruce C. Thompson, and Joseph A. Chapman. Wild Mammals
of North America: Biology, Management, and Conservation (2003). Creative Commons
of the problems of predation and financial AttributionShare Alike 3.0 Unported; and Government of Canada. COSEWIC Assessment and
compensation but we do not yet have Status Report on the Grizzly Bear Ursus arctos in Canada 2012.
sufficient information to fully understand
the impact of grizzly predation on this
industry. This is an area we will pursue.
We have also just begun the process

of connecting with organizations and
individuals in other jurisdictions such as the
Government of Canada, the Government
of Alberta, and the American states near
our borders (Alaska, Idaho, Montana,
Washington, Wyoming) that have grizzly
interests similar to ours and whose policies
and practices will impact on grizzlies on
all sides of the border. Grizzlies do not
acknowledge provincial, state or national
borders so we must all work together.
We appreciate the generous response to

our request for information and advice
from so many individuals and organizations.
It is clear to us that there is an enormous
amount of interest and energy being
directed to the future of the grizzly bear.
And it is equally clear that there is no one
single action or player that can alone
guarantee the future of the grizzlies.
We need a broad coalition of interests
to combine, over a long period of time,
to meet our shared objectives. We fully
expect the Grizzly Bear Foundation to play POSTGLACIAL
a useful role as one of the participants in HISTORIC
this worthwhile endeavour. PRESENT

B. The Importance Table 1: Provincial governments 2012* population
estimate by Grizzly Bear Population Unit
of Grizzly Bears *Note: The most recent available. Source: DataBC.
The brown bear (Ursus arctos)which North Americans call . GRIZZLY BEAR EST. GRIZZLY BEAR EST.
POPULATION UNIT POP. POPULATION UNIT POP.
the grizzlyis the widest ranging of the worlds eight bear
Alta 132 North Cascades 6
species. The brown bear is also found in Asia and Europe.
Babine 313 North Coast 190
Grizzly bears arrived in North America from Eurasia as BlackwaterWest Chilcotin 53 North Purcells 234
early as 70,000 years ago.1 Geneticists are still unpicking BulkleyLakes 439 North Selkirk 265
the details, but it is now thought that various groups Cassiar 612 Nulki 44
arrived during several intervals, some intermingling, some Central Monashee 147 Omineca 402
migrating to different parts of the continent at different Central Rockies 169 Parsnip 455
times. 2 Nonetheless, the fact is that grizzly bears survived Central Selkirk 188 Quesnel Lake North 187
major extinctions of the Late Pleistocene period and by the
CentralSouth Purcells 176 Robson 534
early Holocene they ranged as far east as Ontario, Ohio and
ColumbiaShuswap 346 Rockies Park Ranges 116
Kentucky and as far south as Mexico.3 But environmental
Cranberry 349 Rocky 538
conditions fluctuated through the Holocene, when the
south and east colonizing fronts of grizzly distribution likely EdzizaLower Stikine 398 South Chilcotin Ranges 203
faced inhospitable conditions and succumbed to extirpation FinlayOspika 971 South Rockies 305
(became locally extinct).4 Flathead 175 South Selkirk 58
Francois 55 Spatsizi 666
By historic times (i.e., the 19th century), grizzlies were living GaribaldiPitt 2 Spillamacheen 98
throughout much of the western half of the contiguous US,
Hart 244 SquamishLillooet 59
central Mexico, western Canada, and most of Alaska.5 Once
Hyland 231 SteinNahatlatch 24
Europeans arrived on this continent, the grizzly bears range
KettleGranby 86 Stewart 358
suffered in proportion to the number of humans taking
Khutzeymateen 280 Taiga 94
over the landscape. Engaging in the fur trade, the gold
rush, mining, cattle ranching, forestry, and building dams, KingcomeWakeman 199 Taku 575
settlements and transport routes, these humans and their KitlopeFiordland 214 Tatshenshini 407
KlinakliniHomathko 251 TobaBute 116
KnightBute 250 Tweedsmuir 368
1 Mattson, D. All Grizzly.org: Evolutionary biogeography.
2 Mattson, D. All Grizzly.org: Early Prehistory.
KwatnaOwikeno 229 Upper SkeenaNass 755
3 Government of Canada (2012). COSEWIC Assessment and Status Moberly 71 Valhalla 88
Report on the Grizzly Bear Ursus arctos in Canada.
4 Mattson, D. All Grizzly.org: The Holocene. Muskwa 840 Wells Gray 317
5 United States Fish and Wildlife Service Grizzly Bear Recovery Office Nation 170 Yahk 20
(2011). Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) 5Year Review: Summary
and Evaluation. GRAND TOTAL 15,072

Figure 2: Map of BC
Grizzly Bear Population Units
Source: BC Ministry of Environment.
VIABLE THREATENED EXTIRPATED

guns decreased the number of grizzly bears dramatically, if or how many grizzly bears can be killed by hunters.9
reducing their former distribution, as shown in Figure 1 As illustrated, grizzlies have been extirpated in portions of
on page 3. the province, and other populations are at risk of becoming
so. Table 1 on page 4 shows the estimated number of
In parts of Canada, grizzly bears were wiped out. The grizzlies in each GBPU.
Prairie populationwidespread across the Prairies and the
nonmountainous boreal regions of Alberta, Saskatchewan
and Manitoba prior to European settlementwas Ecological
designated as extirpated by the Committee on the Status
of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 1991 and was officially Biologists have consistently emphasized the importance
listed under the Species at Risk Act as such in 2003. Grizzly of grizzly bears from an ecological perspective. They are
bears also existed as a relict population 6 on the Ungava considered an umbrella species because landscapes that
peninsula of northern Quebec and Labrador but this can support healthy grizzly bear populations benefit an array
population was pronounced extinct in 2012 after not having of other plants and animals. Grizzlies also play a significant
been documented since 1948.7 role in a healthy ecosystem. Digging for roots, bulbs, ground
squirrels, other small creatures and insects, their long
Today Canada is home to about 25,000 grizzly bears who claws (powered by their impressive shoulder muscles) rake
are widely distributed through the Yukon, the mainland parts and turn over huge areas. Over time, this work uncovers
of the Northwest Territory, Nunavut and British Columbia, nutrients from lower levels of soil, boosting the diversity and
as well as being found in a western portion of Alberta. productivity of plant communities. On top of that, through
In the United States, Alaska hosts a large number of grizzly their feces, grizzlies distribute seeds from a range of plants
bears (over 30,000) but in the rest of the US there are just including huckleberries, chokecherries, currants, mountain
five areas within four northwestern states (Idaho, Montana, ash and pine trees.
Washington and Wyoming) that combined support only
1,4001,700 grizzly bears.8 British Columbia shares the Grizzly bears who eat fish, particularly salmon, star in
North Cascades population with Washington state. another vital natural process. By discarding salmon
carcasses grizzlies are part of a predatorscavenger complex
The BC government estimates that there are approximately that in BC includes at least 23 species of mammals and birds.
15,000 bears in the province. Figure 2 on page 5 Scientists know this is how marine nutrients get transferred
shows the 56 Grizzly Bear Population Units (GBPUs) that from streams to shore ecosystems and that these subsidies
are currently used by the government for conservation
and management, land use planning and determining
6 A relict population is a remnant of a population that formerly had a wider distribution.

7 Government of Canada (2012). See supra note 3.
8 United States Fish & Wildlife Service. MountainPrairie Region: Endangered Species, Mammals, Grizzly bear. Accessed 1 February 2017.
9 Province of British Columbia (2010). Grizzly Bear Hunting: Frequently Asked Questions. Ministry of Environment.

dont only support many animals but affect the productivity Cultural and Spiritual
of and may even control the biodiversity of streamside
plant communities.10 The longtime presence of grizzly bears in what is now British
Columbia saw them coexisting with BCs first peoples and,
As British Columbia is home to as many as half of Canadas indeed, the deep relationships that many First Nations
remaining grizzlies, our stewardship role with regard share with the grizzly have been interwoven into their art
to their health and longterm wellbeing is particularly and mythology. For some nations, the bears are seen as
important. This responsibility has long been recognized by teachers, guides, symbols of strength and even considered
the provincial government. A 1995 policy paper entitled as possessing human traits.
A Future for the Grizzlies: British Columbia Grizzly Bears
Conservation Strategy outlines the ways and means Many indigenous communities have grizzly bear houses
government intends to protect and restore grizzly bear or clans. For example, the Nuxalk people of Bella Coola
populations throughout British Columbia. believe that the Creator put their ancestors on Earth in
various animal cloaks including the grizzly. To this day
In 2002, the government recognized 60 GBPUs and hunting there is a House of the Grizzly. The Katzie people of the Pitt
was permitted in 49 of those.11 Today, there are 56 GBPUs. watershed did not kill grizzly bears for their fleshalthough
Nine are closed to hunting because the bear populations occasionally a hunter might take a grizzly bear for its hide.
there are considered to be threatened. In a further five This custom arose because the grizzly bear is considered
GBPUs no hunting is allowed due to small population sizes or one of the helpers of Khaals, an important spiritual figure.13
special designations, leaving 42 units where grizzly hunting
takes place. There are additional areas in the province where These are just a couple of examples of the enduring
hunting is not allowedfor example in national parks, cultural and spiritual meaning that the grizzly has for many
certain provincial parks and a few grizzly bear management indigenous people. Indeed, BCs First Nations are amongst
areas. In total around 35% of the province (not including the signatorieswho together represent over 700 tribal
Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland or nations from both sides of the CanadaUS borderof a
Haida Gwaii) is closed to grizzly hunting.12 document of intertribal solidarity sparked by their opposition
to the delisting from the US Endangered Species Act
The grizzly bear hunt is the most rigidly and conservatively (ESA) of the grizzly bears in Greater Yellowstone, which
controlled hunt in the province, according to the they believe would lead to trophy hunting and destructive
BC government. land use. As of the writing of this report those who have
signed include Canadas former Assembly of First Nations
10 Shardlow, T.F., Hyatt, K.D. (2013). Quantifying associations of large vertebrates with salmon in riparian areas of British Columbia streams by means of
cameratraps, bait stations, and hair samples. Ecol. Indicat. 27 97107. DOI 10.1016/j.ecolind.2012.11.011
11 Province of British Columbia (2002). Grizzly Bears in BC Ecology, Conservation and Management. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection.
12 Province of British Columbia (2010). See supra note 9.
13 Katzie First Nation website.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde, BC Assembly of
First Nations Regional Chief Shane Gottfriedson,
and chiefs and councillors from over 40 BC
First Nations.14
the GRIZZLY has been our ancestor, our

relative. The GRIZZLY is part of us and WE are
part of the GRIZZLY culturally, spiritually and
ceremonially. Our ancient relationship is so close
and so embodied in us that the GRIZZLY is
the spirit of our holistic ecocultural lifeways,
reads The Grizzly: A Treaty of Cooperation,
Cultural Revitalization and Restoration
(The Grizzly Treaty).
Another legal initiative is underway in honour of

the grizzly. In December 2016, the Supreme Court
of Canada heard its firstever indigenous freedom
James Hart, The Dance Screen (The Scream Too), 201013, red cedar, yew wood,
of religion case. It was filed by the Ktunaxa Nation
abalone, mica, acrylic, 332 x 479 x 35.7 cm. Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa Council against the BC Minister of Forests, Lands
to the Audain Art Museum. Photo courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery (Trevor Mills).
and Natural Resource Operations. The Ktunaxa
assert that the Minister approved a proposed
ski resort development in the heart of an area of
The Dance Screen (The Scream Too) depicts an ecosystem spiritual significance (Qatmuk) and that this would
of creatures who are all dependent on the health of salmon irreparably harm their nations relationship with
stocks. The iconography of the work stems from traditional the Grizzly Bear Spirit that resides there, which
Haida beings a great mother bear, bear cubs (in human they consider an important source of guidance,
form), killer whales, frogs, eagle, raven, beaver, salmon and strength, protection and spirituality.15
salmon people and celebrates the pivotal role of these
animals in Haida culture and society. Regardless of the outcome of that case, there
can be no doubt of the spiritual and cultural
importance of the grizzly to this nation: We, the
Ktunaxa,have a deep spiritual connection to the
animal world, and in particular, to the grizzly bear.
14 Piikani First Nation. The Grizzly: A Treaty of Cooperation, Cultural Revitalization and Restoration. Accessed 7 February 2017.
15 Ktunaxa First Nation website.

Qatmuk is a very special place wherethe Grizzly Bear Spirit of the province, these clients generate around $350 million
was born, goes to heal itself, and returns to the spirit world, annually in economic activity including hotel and food
states the Qatmuk Declaration. spending, and equipment and gas sales, according to the
government.16 This figure, however, was questioned in the
Here are some other recent examples of First Nations 2014 Center for Responsible Travel/Stanford University study
thought on the role of grizzly bears: The Economic Impact of Bear Viewing and Bear Hunting in
We, the Sttimc, recognize grizzly bears as an the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia17 partly
important umbrella species that needs protection, because it was a huge leap up from the $48 million reported
which in turn will assist us in protecting our cultural by BC Stats for 2003 in a 2005 report.18 To put this in
heritage on the landscape. perspective, the overall tourism industry generated $14.6
Sttimc Chiefs Council Resolution
billion in revenue in 2014.19
Ki?lawana? (grizzly bear) has been integral and critical Resident and
part of Syilx culture since time immemorialits presence nonresident
WHAT A GRIZZLY BEAR
in Syilx Territory is an indicator of the health of Syilx land hunters, as well as
HUNTER CURRENTLY PAYS
and people. guides, pay various
THE PROVINCE
Okanagan Nation Alliance, Tribal Council Resolution
licence charges
and fees that total RESIDENTS OF BC
[G]rizzlies are an integral feature in the culture of Wildlife hunting licence: $32
approximately $7.3
Limited Entry Hunt fee: $6
First Nations in BC and have an important role in the million annually and
Species licence: $80
coastal ecosystem. which go into the
Total: $118
BC Assembly of First Nations Resolution Banning Provinces general
Trophy Hunting of Bears NONRESIDENTS
revenue fund
Wildlife hunting licence: $180
and can be used
Species licence: $1,030
on government
Economic programs such as
Total: $1210
Source: Province of British
There are two commercial industries associated with the health or education. Columbia (2016). 20162018
Most licences Hunting and Trapping Synopsis.
grizzly bears of BC. The first, and longest standing, is the Ministry of Forests, Lands and
guide outfitting industry. Guide outfitters are those whose also include a Natural Resource Operations.
work involves equipping and/or assisting and guiding conservation
clientslargely nonresident touristsin hunting, fishing surcharge that
and wilderness touring. Together with the resident hunters
16 Province of British Columbia. Press release, 22 Dec. 2016: Wildlife allocations 201721 released. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
17 Center for Responsible Travel (2014). Economic Impact of Bear Viewing and Bear Hunting in The Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia. Pp 14.
18 Province of British Columbia (2005). British Columbias Hunting, Trapping & Wildlife Viewing Sector. BC Stats.
19 Destination BC. Value of Tourism 2014. 20 Piikani First Nation. See supra note 14.

is directed to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation Aboriginal rights are protected under the Canadian
as part of a conservation funding model that we discuss Constitution. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 declared that
page 32. only the British Crown could acquire land from First Nations.
That acquisition was usually done through treaties. In BC
The second commercial industry is bear viewing. This however, this treaty process was never completed in the
activity has grown exponentially over the past 30 years and same way as it was in other Canadian provinces. Most First
is particularly active on the Coast. The economic impact of Nations had to wait until 1993 to pursue their aboriginal
the commercial bear viewing industry is substantial and has rights through the BC treaty negotiation process. The treaty
been well documented. The most widely cited being the process has, however, progressed slowly. As a result, a
aforementioned Great Bear Rainforest study that showed number of First Nations in BC have taken their concerns
bear viewing generated 12 times more visitor spending and to court in an effort to resolve longstanding issues of
11 times more government revenue than grizzly hunting. land rights.
Appendix A on page 57, includes some details about
the economic contributions of these commercial enterprises In recent years, the Canadian courts have recognized
through the submissions presented by their representatives that First Nations have legal rights that have never been
at our public meetings in September. extinguished. These rights may eventually include the
right to create laws about the use of lands with aboriginal
title. At this time, the specific rights and responsibilities
associated with their traditional lands and resources are in
C. G
overnment Responsibilities a period of evolution, but will likely have important economic
ramifications for the province, as well as a significant impact
The status and future of grizzly bears in our province
on the grizzly bear populations of BC.
depends on many individuals, organizations and levels of
government, all of which have interdependent roles to play. There are 203 governments represented by the BC
Governments have particular legal responsibilities for the Assembly of First Nations, many of which are also members
protection of wildlife including grizzlies. of Tribal Councils, treaty groups or other alliances. Indeed,
BC is noted as having the greatest diversity of aboriginal
culture in Canada, according to the federal Ministry of
First Nations Governments Indigenous and Northern Affairs. It is no surprise, therefore,
that First Nations governments are similarly diverse in their
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in BC, First Nations
approaches to the grizzly bears in their territories.
communities had their own laws and their own governments.
With the establishment of British colonies, traditional First Many nations, including the Coastal First Nations Alliance,
Nations governments were dismantled and replaced with have banned trophy bear hunting in their traditional
government structures under the Indian Act that were more territories. Instead, they have developed bear viewing as
similar to European models. an economic pursuit in keeping with their traditions.

The need to recognize the role of the grizzly appears to to understand the implications of salmon/bear movement
be resonating with many of North Americas indigenous for managing conservancy size and avoiding humanbear
peoples. TheGrizzly Treaty that, as mentioned above, conflict. 22
has recently been signed by a large number of nations
and tribes states that no hunting of the GRIZZLYbe
that categorized as sport or trophy huntingwill be
RECOMMENDATION TO THE
permitted or licensed on any lands our NATIONS hold
GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION
jurisdiction over. 20 Facilitate a forum with First Nations to consider
potential partnership initiatives to secure the
While nations such as the Tahltan Nation and the Nisgaa status and future welfare of grizzly bears.
Lisims in the northwest of the province do have guide
outfitters operating on their territories and offer hunting
services including the hunting of grizzlies, others such as the
Okanagan Nation Alliance whose territories include areas The Provincial Government
where the grizzly population is recognized as threatened
have committed to help the bear recover using best At the provincial level, grizzly bears are of particular interest
available information, practices and scientific knowledge to several Ministries and Crown corporations that have
balanced with our Traditional Knowledge and protocols relevant statutory responsibilities.
(Tribal Council Resolution 2014/15 no 292). There is no single piece of provincial legislation in BC that
Some nations are being proactive. The Kwiakah First Nation covers all the issues related to the protection of wildlife
is developing a comprehensive grizzly bear recovery including grizzly bears. We have theWildlife Actthat
strategy in the Phillips River Watershed, to mitigate further regulates bear hunting. When it comes to industrial
ecological damage that would put grizzlies there at risk of development that affects grizzly bears, BC has taken a
extirpation. 21 Both the Homalco and Heiltsuk First Nations sectorbysector approach. TheForest and Range Practices
are undertaking field research and DNA analyses on grizzly Act(FRPA) regulates logging and ranching, and government
bear populations in their territories. The Homalco are doing has designated the grizzly bear as a species at risk
so to ensure that sustainable bear viewing is neutral on under its Government Actions Regulation. This allows the
the grizzlies and the Heiltsuk are as part of research on government to create Wildlife Habitat Areas and require
the impact of salmon availability on bear range, as well as measures that can be used to protect grizzlies, providing
that they do not unduly reduce the supply of timber and
that the benefits outweigh any adverse impact to logging
20 Piikani First Nation. See supra note 14.

21 Coast Conservation Endowment Fund Foundation (2016). Awards summary. Accessed 5 February 2017.
22 Housty, W.G., Noson, A., Scoville, G.W., Boulanger, J., Jeo, R.M, Darimont, C.T., and Filardi, C.E. (2014). Grizzly bear monitoring by the Heiltsuk people as a crucible
for First Nation conservation practice. Ecology and Society 19(2): 70. DOI: 10.5751/ES06668190270.

industry costs. 23 However, such regulation only applies Several provinces such as Alberta and Ontario have
to forest and range practicesnot to other industrial or provincial Species at Risk legislation. One of the features of
human activities. We also have the Oiland Gas Activities Act such legislation is that it brings together the many legislative
(OGAA) under which the grizzly is listed as threatened and threads that together combine to protect wildlife. For the
which also addresses Wildlife Habitat Areas with respect public, this consolidation makes it easier to understand and
to the oil and gas industry. While these tools are available, navigate the complicated processes that determine how
there are large portions of the province that do not have any effectively provincial wildlife is protected, while for the
Wildlife Habitat Areas designated for grizzly bears. 24 government, this consolidation facilitates accountability
to the public.
There is also theParkAct that can be used to protect wildlife
including grizzlies, but in many provincial parks grizzly
hunting is allowed under certain conditions as specified
under theWildlifeAct. There is also theEnvironmental
Assessment Act that involves assessments of how certain
proposed resourcebased projects are expected to impact
on wildlife including grizzlies.
The Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource

Operations (MFLNRO) and the Ministry of the Environment
are the major agencies responsible for administering these
statutes. In addition, the growing attraction of grizzly bear
viewing in the province has sparked the attention of the
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Development and the
Crown corporation Destination British Columbia under the
Destination BC Corp Act. Photo by Jim Lawrence KootenayReflections.com Cub by River.
In terms of funding research associated with wildlife

including grizzlies, there are two major government By comparison to those provinces, our BC legal framework
related initiatives in the province. The first is the for the protection of wildlife including grizzlies seems
Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation that is an to be fragmented and impenetrable to most citizens of
independent body under the Wildlife Act. And the the province. A more accessible regulatory framework
second is the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program would invite more public dialogue and would help shape
administered by BC Hydro, a Crown corporation. the Provinces approach to the stewardship of wildlife,
including the grizzly, which in turn would help define the
scope and urgency of funding related to such stewardship.
23 Government Actions Regulation, BC Reg 582/2004. Accessed through BC Laws on 24 January 2017.
24 Province of British Columbia. Approved Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs). Accessed 24 January 2017.

We expect that this regulatory and administrative system being conducted in national parks about the status and
is one dimension associated with the status and future of future of grizzlies in our province and in Alberta. The other
the grizzly bear that might be highlighted in the Auditor is the Canadian Wildlife Service, which is responsible for
Generals report on the Provinces grizzly bear management administering the Species at Risk Act (SARA) that provides
due to be published this Spring. Regardless, the Board of the federal legislative framework for the protection of
Inquiry is of the view that BC should reassess its regulatory endangered and threatened species in Canada.
framework and strive to develop a wildlife stewardship
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
model that is Canadas best.
Canada (COSEWIC) uses scientific knowledge to classify
wildlife species as extinct, extirpated (extinct at a local
Local and Regional Governments population level), endangered, threatened or of special
concern. SARA requires the government of Canada to
At the local and regional levels of government, the take COSEWICs designations into consideration when
involvement with grizzly bears is largely related to establishing the legal list of wildlife species at risk. 25
humanbear conflict management. Local and regional COSEWIC has assessed the population that includes BCs
governments have the authority to enact bylaws to deal grizzly bears (now known as the Western population) as of
with bear attractants (such as garbage disposal) that can Special Concern in 1991, 2002 and 2012.
have a major impact on humanbear interactions. In addition,
they are encouraged to participate in Bear Smart, Bear Fisheries and Oceans Canada is yet another federal agency
Aware and WildSafe initiatives that reduce the likelihood of that has special relevance to the grizzly in our province. This
serious conflict between humans and bears in communities agency holds federal responsibility for the Fisheries Act that
living in close proximity to black and grizzly bears. While includes the regulatory framework for the salmon fishery.
local and regional government bylaws might appear to be Salmon is an essential nutrient for coastal grizzly bears.
statutory authorities of lesser significance than those at the
Last but not least of the major federal statutes that have a
provincial and federal levels, the fact is that they are essential
significant impact on grizzlies is the Canadian Environmental
to the effective management of humanbear issues at the
Assessment Act that requires proponents of major
community level.
projects to identify the likely environmental impacts on
wildlife of those projects. There have been several recent
examplessuch as large scale resource projects like the
The Federal Government New Prosperity Mineof how this process can impact
At the federal level, there are two agencies that have grizzlies in BC.
responsibilities of particular relevance to grizzly bears.
One is Parks Canada. Grizzly bears are protected from
hunting in national parks and there is important research
25 Government of Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. About COSEWIC: Brief History. Accessed 2 February 2017.

2
Photo by Jim & Doria Moodie
Our Assessment of the Threats
Based on the input we received and additional information They range over hundreds of square kilometres as they seek
to which we were directed, in this section we summarize the seasonal foods found in forest openings and young
the chief threats we see to the welfare and future of BCs forests or on avalanche chutes before moving on to spots
grizzly bears. We also identify areas in which the Grizzly with enough energyrich foods like berries or salmon to
Bear Foundation may be able to make a contribution. gorge on so that they can become biologically ready to
These threats are: habitat issues, parks and grizzly hibernate deep in mature forests.
security, humangrizzly conflict and provincial government
However, despite the
management issues.
widespread perception Grizzly bears are rather
that BC has plenty of unique creatures.
wild untouched places, Their size and related
A. Habitat Issues the timber industry, energy needs are such
hydro dams and other that their adaptability
Through all the input received and research we read, we energy infrastructure, and omnivorous needs
realized that there are numerous complicated challenges agriculture, human see them living in not
involved in attempting to ensure that grizzlies have access settlements and just one habitat but
to the large territories that permit them to thrive. It became recreation have brought conducting their lives
over a whole landscape.
clear to us that there are many competing land use priorities our expanded human
that have the potential to threaten the long term survival of footprint into many
our grizzly bears. formerly natural areas.
Even when a part of their landscape is not lost altogether,
increased proximity to people can alienate grizzly bears from
Human Impact on Grizzly Landscapes such sections of land, or else put their security at risk if they
dare to tread in these places.
Largebodied ramblers with attendant high food energy
needs, omnivorous grizzly bears dont actually have just
one habitat but instead call whole landscapes their home.

Grizzly bears are known to be creatures of habit, usually Further, more barriers like highways, as well as agricultural
returning to the same seasonal food sources and areas lands and settlements in mountain valleys, can leave grizzly
throughout their lifetimes. 26 So, this loss and alteration of bears stuck on a certain island of land. This fragmentation
their complex mosaic of habitat is challenging enough, keeps females from emigrating into other populations where
yet our search to expand access to resources and they might be needed to maintain minimum population
recreational activities also means that progressively more numbers, and prevents male and female dispersal, limiting
roads split through grizzly bear landscapes. Growing road genetic variability. When a population becomes isolated it
networks not only increase the risk of bears being struck by will be much less resilient to natural or humancaused shocks
vehicles but allow more people easier access to the as its bears cannot go exploring other landscapes in search
wilderness, raising the chances of humanbear contact that of new resources. 27 In southern BC, this type of
leads to conflict, hunting and poaching kills. fragmentation of grizzly bear landscapes is recognized as
a serious threat to the sustainability of certain populations
(for details, see section 1 of Appendix A page 57).
There are over 600,000 kilometres of
resource road in BC (enough to drive from RECOMMENDATION TO THE
Vancouver to Halifax and back 50 times). This GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION
enormous legacy is growing on the order of In collaboration with recreation groups,
10,000 kilometres is being added every year. clubs and commercial operators, undertake
Over 75 percent of resource roads were built a study regarding the impact of access to
by the forest industry... the backcountry and propose strategies for the protection of
sensitive grizzly bear habitat.
Over half the resource roads are not being
maintained. Much of that unmaintained road
has been deactivated, but there is still potential
for some of those roads to cause environmental Parks and Grizzly Bear Security
damage and some continue to provide
In our public meeting process we discovered that a lot of
unintended access.
people are thoroughly surprised to learn that hunting of
S
ource: Forest Practices Board Access Management and
Resource Roads: 2015 Update. grizzly bears is permitted in many of BCs provincial parks.
It is disheartening to realize that this means that although
quality habitat is there, security for grizzly bears is not. In
contrast, no hunting is permitted in Canadas national parks,
including those in our province.
26 Gyug, L., Hamilton A., and Austin, M. (2004). Grizzly Bear Accounts and Measures for Managing Identified Wildlife. BC Ministry of Water, Lands and Air Protection.
27 Proctor, M.F., Paetkau, D., McLellan, B.N., Stenhouse, G.B., Kendall, K.C., Mace, R.D., Kasworm, W.F., Servheen, C., Lausen, C.L., Gibeau, M.L. and Wakkinen, W.L.
(2012). Population fragmentation and inter-ecosystem movements of grizzly bears in western Canada and the northern United States. Wildlife Monographs, 180(1),
146. DOI: 10.1002/wmon.6.

Using data that the Province requires every hunter to supply, wildlife was not sufficiently reflected in its Future Strategy.
in 2010 the David Suzuki Foundation mapped out the We are of the view that all provincial parks inhabited by
locations where 10,811 of BCs grizzlies were killed by humans grizzly bears ought to be sanctuaries for them.
from 1977 to 2009 (of those, 9,484 were legally killed by
hunters). By overlaying the kill sites on a map of provincial
park boundaries, the foundation showed that from 1977 to Bear Food Challenges
2008 at least 547 grizzlies were killed by hunters in
Threats to grizzlies are often interrelated. For example,
60 provincial parks, wildlife management areas, ecological
bears can suffer nutritionally and energetically29 if they are
reserves and conservancies. Northern Rocky Mountains
displaced or alienated from their optimal food sources due
Provincial Park topped the list at 98 grizzly kills, followed by
to human development or recreational activities. This is of
Spatsizi Plateau at 73, Purcell Wilderness at 53, and
particular concern for females, as they tend not to range as
TatshenshiniAlsek at 45. 28
far as do males and thus have fewer food source choices.
BC has taken steps to
We also heard about other problems that can arise with food
protect the grizzly habitat
OPTIMAL GRIZZLY supplies. In BC, grizzly bear diets (plural here because what
in some areas, including
LANDSCAPES: grizzlies eat differs biogeographically) rely on an array of
by banning certain
Roadless foods including sedges, grasses, tubers, roots and heavily
resourceextraction
on wild berries and salmon. These latter two are of primary
activities. However: What A mosaic of areas
hosting young importance because they are highenergy foods that the
we have is a parks system
plant communities bears crave in the prehibernation season.
that protects bear habitat,
but which doesnt protect and natural forest
A prevailing concern shared with us was about poor berry
clearings
the bears themselves, plant production and how in some years it can fail entirely.
noted Faisal Moola, the Close to denser This annually variable food supply is relatively natural and a
Suzuki Foundations forest that offers
female grizzlys body is evolutionarily equipped to respond
director of terrestrial grizzlies cover for
by absorbing embryos in late fall if she has not built reserves
conservation at the time. hiding and shade
of >2024% body fat so as to not endanger her survival.
for their day beds
Nonetheless, a lack of berries in a place where the number of
The Board of Inquiry was
bears is already declining may, on the long term, push up the
disappointed to note that
risk of extirpation. Researchers know that berries in the
BC Parks commitment to
Pacific Northwest are quite sensitive to temperature and
rainfall at certain times of the growing season, and some
28 Gailus, J., Moola, F. and Connolly, M. (2010). Ensuring a Future for Canadas Grizzly Bears. David Suzuki Foundation.
29 Fortin, J. K., Rode, K. D., Hilderbrand, G. V., Wilder, J., Farley, S., Jorgensen, C., & Marcot, B. G. (2016). Impacts of Human Recreation on Brown Bears (Ursus arctos):
A Review and New Management Tool. PloS one, 11(1), e0141983. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141983.

have begun working on models for berry crop forecasting30 (using heavy machinery and often herbicides31) and replant
that would enable people to prepare for crop failures that logged areas reduces the likelihood that native grizzly plant
leave grizzly bears hungry and thus more likely to get into foods will thrive there. It also increases the chances that
trouble by seeking food in human domains. An uncertainty tenacious weeds like thistle will take over.32 On the topic
here, of course, is the impact of climate change. of soils, we were repeatedly told that because of a social
fear of wildfirewhich arose due to the prioritization of
timber stocks, agricultural land and other propertyfire
suppression has become too predominant with land
management no longer including adequate natural fire or
prescribed burning. This is recognized as having altered
the ecological condition of the provinces forests (and
grasslands), impacting firetolerant berry shrubs and other
plant communities.33
The state of BCs salmon stocks also came up as a key

concern for the wellbeing of many of the provinces grizzly
bears. The alteration, disruption and destruction wrought by
urban development, agriculture and resource exploitation
has already long been causing the deterioration of many
watersheds and impacting salmon habitat. And now the
rising temperature of BCs streams and riversdue to
Photo by Mick Thompson. Grizzly Bear with salmon, Atnarko River,
Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, BC. Declining salmon runs and human
removal of shade by timber clear cut and the impact of
overexploitation can leave mother grizzlies short on nutrients, reducing climate changeis a further worry for the provinces salmon
birth rates.
runs,34 which grizzlies often already have to share with
overexploitive commercial fisheries.
Logging can also impact bear food supplies. In terms of
berries (many types of which grow in BC), recently cut The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canadas
forests might have the potential to become berry abundant Wild Salmon Policy recognizes the need for fisheries
because berries require the light of open canopies. However, management to transcend salmon production alone and
the manner in which timber companies disturb the soil consider the needs of terrestrial species. The Raincoast
30 Holden, Z.A, Kasworm, W.F., Servheen, C. and Dobrowski, S. (2012). Sensitivity of Berry Productivity to Climatic Variation in the CabinetYaak Grizzly Bear
Recovery Zone, Northwest United States, 19892010. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 36: 226231. DOI: 10.1002/wsb.128.
31 Canadian Forest Service. Technical Note No. 112: Frequently Asked Questions On the Use of Herbicides in Canadian Forestry.
32 Van Tighem, K. (2013). Bears Without Fear. Rocky Mountain Books.
33 Holt, R.F. (2001). Strategic Ecological Restoration Assessment (SERA) of the Prince George Forest Region: Results of a Workshop. Ministry of Environment
Habitat Branch.
34 Takashi Gomi, T., Moore, R.D. and Dhakal, A.S. (2006). Headwater stream temperature response to clearcut harvesting with different riparian treatments, coastal
British Columbia, Canada. Water Resources Research Vol. 2. DOI: 10.1029/2005WR004162.

Conservation Foundation notes: Forthis policy to be court decisions on FirstNations involvement in managing
meaningful however, it requires fisheries managers to the natural environments on their traditional territories is yet
consider bears and wildlife by lowering catches and allowing another critical factor in land use planning in the province.
more salmon to reach the rivers to spawn.35
We certainly recognize that many of the issues involved
Other ecological problems can affect grizzly food. Grizzly in grizzly bear food challenges are also macro in nature
bears are known to feed on whitebark pine seed caches (climate change, growing industry, overfishing and
buried in the ground by a bird called the Clarks nutcracker. aquaculture implications) and have a multipronged impact
Whitebark pine, a tree species found at upper subalpine on our natural world and society. While solutions to these
elevations, has sadly been victim of the combined impacts macro challenges will be very longterm and will most
of white pine blister rust (a fungus), mountain pine beetle, certainly outreach the purview of a grizzly bear management
climate change and fire exclusion/suppression. In 2012, the strategy, the grizzlies plight in this respect points to the
federal government added whitebark pine to Schedule 1 need to prioritize the challenges that we can impact
(endangered) under the Species at Risk Act. significantly in the short term.
Due to the vastness of the province and the geographic In the end, while the known adaptability of grizzly bears
and ecological complexity of grizzly bear landscapes, these suggests that habitat or dietary factors alone may not
examples are in no way exhaustive. cause the loss of BCs grizzly bears, food is nonetheless a
prime motivator of their behaviour. Thus another danger
The fact that 94% of BC is Crown land and as such is under is how habitat and food stresses can provoke a dangerous
the jurisdiction of the provincial government presents some intersection with the next threat that we will discusswhat
unique problems and possibilities with regard to grizzly bear
happens when grizzlies clash with people.
habitat and food challenges. On the one hand, many people
are of the view that they should have generous access to
Crown land for recreation as it is government land, that is
RECOMMENDATION TO
to say that it belongs to the people of the province. These
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
expectations may not take into account the impact of
Salmon provide extremely important nutrient
unrestricted public access to critical bear habitat.
subsidies to terrestrial plant and animal
On the other hand, the fact that so much territory is under communities, including grizzly bears. In
preparing its implementation plan for the Wild Salmon Policy,
the control of the provincial government also means that
we recommend that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
there are real opportunities for careful planning and control explicitly consider in its allocation formula the nutritional needs
of these lands for multiple purposes including the protection of grizzly bears, a keystone species in the predatorscavenger
of grizzly bear habitat. It also needs to be noted that recent complex that uses and distributes marine nutrients.
35 Raincoast website. Accessed 20 January 2017.

B. HumanGrizzly Conflict Also amongst nonhunt mortality are the grizzlies who are
struck by trains and vehicles. The table on page 21 details
the number and types of known grizzly deaths in 2015.
Humancaused mortality is
by far the greatest source
Grizzlies can live
of mortality for grizzlies. It is
also the chief factor limiting
for 30 years but, What Underlies the Difficulties in
in areas with
grizzly bear populations other considerable
HumanBear Relations?
than major energy foods. humanbear Prior to European arrival in what is now Canada, First
In BC, every year there are an interface, people
Nations had long shared the land with the grizzlies. When
average of 326humancaused cause the deaths
Europeans arrived, they came with a pioneering attitude and
grizzly deaths with the of over 80% of
the conviction that survival required human domination over
majority of those (264) being grizzly bears.
nature. As the newcomers knew little about grizzly bears
hunter kills. (For more about
36
except the aggression they were capable of, these creatures
the grizzly bear hunt, please
became the ultimate symbol of the dangers entailed in
refer to section 3 of this
the process of settling wild places, and their latent ferocity
report on page 39.) And these numbers do not include
became the central myth.
the unreported kills associated with poaching and killings
that remain ambiguous in nature because the individuals Thus, thanks to our evolutionary drive to survive, North
involved prefer to shoot, shovel and shut up. Much concern Americans spent several hundred years refusing to tolerate
over these humancaused deaths was expressed to us at the presence of this potentially dangerous species, which
the public input sessions held by the Board of Inquiry as is precisely how grizzly bears were wiped out from most of
well as in meetings and conversations with provincial public this continent. In this context, British Columbias progress
servants and independent biologists. over the past 40 years in halting such widespread extinction
is a remarkable accomplishment. There remains much to
Further, a large number of people spoke about the many
be done to secure the future of the grizzlies but we must
grizzly bears shot in defence of life or property. We
acknowledge how much dedication and solid work have
learned that the nonhunt mortality problem is complex and
been expended to protect and restore grizzly populations
significant, largely because it has roots in human psychology,
by the provincial government in conjunction with many
values and attitudes and, in some circumstances, in
community partners.
economics. But we were also encouraged to hear from
people dedicated to understanding bear behaviour and
educating others and assisting communities and agricultural
businesses to adopt tried and true nonlethal means of
keeping grizzly bears from meeting death unnecessarily.
36 MFLNRO. Submission to the Grizzly Bear Foundation Board of Inquiry, October 2016.

Table 2: Known grizzly bear deaths in 2015
Source: Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, 2016/2017.
GRIZZLY BEAR POPULATION AUTHORIZATIONS SPECIES HUNTER ILLEGALLY NONHUNT TOTAL REASON FOR STATUS
POPULATION UNIT ESTIMATE ISSUED* LICENCES SOLD KILLED KILLED MORTALITY MORTALITY STATUS (POPULATION ESTIMATE)
Extirpated GBPUs N/A N/A N/A N/A 1 4 5
Alta 132 17 10 1 1 Viable
Babine 313 110 41 1 1 5 Viable
BlackwaterWest Chilcotin 53 N/A N/A N/A 0 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
BulkleyLakes 439 96 52 11 3 14 Viable
Cassiar 612 177 97 13 13 Viable
Central Monashee 147 10 8 1 1 Viable
Central Rockies 169 32 29 3 3 Viable
Central Selkirk 188 38 23 5 5 Viable
CentralSouth Purcells 176 15 8 1 5 6 Viable
ColumbiaShuswap 346 69 41 3 1 4 Viable
Cranberry 349 99 36 5 5 Viable
EdzizaLower Stikine 398 82 32 3 3 Viable
FinlayOspika 971 469 122 16 1 17 Viable
Flathead 175 3 2 1 1 Viable
Francois 55 N/A N/A N/A 1 1 Viable
GaribaldiPitt 2 N/A N/A N/A 0 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
Hart 244 11 10 5 3 8 Viable
Hyland 231 69 29 3 3 Viable
KettleGranby 86 N/A N/A N/A 0 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
Khutzeymateen 280 N/A N/A N/A 0 Viable
KingcomeWakeman 199 38 9 1 1 Viable
KitlopeFiordland 214 25 5 0 0 Viable
KlinakliniHomathko 251 9 6 2 2 Viable
KnightBute 250 21 6 4 4 Viable
KwatnaOwikeno 229 17 3 1 1 Viable

Moberly 71 N/A N/A N/A 0 Viable
Muskwa 840 224 122 18 4 22 Viable
Nation 170 54 32 3 1 4 Viable
North Cascades 6 N/A N/A N/A 0 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
North Coast 190 79 32 4 4 Viable
North Purcells 234 53 41 3 1 4 Viable
North Selkirk 265 59 40 5 5 Viable
Nulki 44 N/A N/A N/A 1 1 Viable
Omineca 402 201 88 10 10 Viable
Parsnip 455 266 121 7 1 8 Viable
Quesnel Lake North 187 46 27 4 4 Viable
Robson 534 195 95 9 9 Viable
Rockies Park Ranges 116 2 2 2 2 4 Viable
Rocky 538 109 73 11 11 Viable
South Chilcotin Ranges 203 N/A N/A 0 1 1 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
South Rockies 305 15 13 9 9 18 Viable
South Selkirk 58 N/A N/A 0 1 1 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
Spatsizi 666 221 92 21 21 Viable
Spillamacheen 98 19 17 2 2 Viable
SquamishLillooet 59 N/A N/A N/A 0 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
SteinNahatlatch 24 N/A N/A N/A 0 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
Stewart 358 77 31 8 1 9 Viable
Taiga 94 N/A N/A N/A 0 Viable
Taku 575 139 82 13 2 15 Viable
Tatshenshini 407 104 41 7 7 Viable
TobaBute 116 N/A N/A N/A 0 Viable
Tweedsmuir 368 57 28 2 1 3 Viable
Upper SkeenaNass 755 93 35 6 6 Viable

Valhalla 88 4 3 1 1 Viable
Wells Gray 317 45 26 2 1 3 Viable
Yahk 20 N/A N/A N/A 2 2 Threatened <50% of carrying capacity
Outside current GBPU N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 2
Boundaries
GRAND TOTAL 15072 3469 1610 230 7 43 280
Notes:
* This includes only resident hunter figures as nonresidents These GBPUs are closed to hunting as the conservation
receive permission to purchase a grizzly licence via risk of hunting such small populations is deemed
the quota allotted to the guide outfitter that they hire, unacceptably high.37
figures for which are not available by GBPU. The number
Of the total hunting 2015 mortality of 230 grizzly bears,
of authorizations issued is to maximize opportunities
resident hunters killed 164 and nonresident hunters killed 66.
for resident hunters within their allocated share of the
annual allowable harvest (permissible number of legal
kills). The allowable harvest of grizzly bears during the
20122016 allocation period was 2,866, or 573 per year,
which equates to 3.8% of the provincial population
estimate (15,000) annually. The anticipated allowable
harvest of grizzly bears during the 20172021 allocation
period is 2,884, or 577 per year.
MFLNRO staff told us that since 2015 there have been

some population declines in parts of the East Kootenays
(South Rockies GBPU and Flathead GBPU), however it
appears that some populations in the West Kootenays
(Kettle Granby GBPU) have increased. However, they say,
the population estimate for the province will likely remain
very close to 15,000.
37 Austin, M.A., Heard, D.C., Hamilton, A.N. (2004). Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos)
Harvest Management in BC. British Columbia. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Photo by Mick Thompson. Grizzly Bear in the brush. Atnarko River,
Protection. Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, BC.

Today, based on differing value systems and experiences, At worst, such a response risks causing harm (i.e., a decline
views on killing grizzlies diverge and vie for attention in the bear population) even though the underlying issue is
(as illustrated in Appendix A: What We Were Told on likely ecological, or in terms of human behaviour, a failure to
page 57). Yet a resounding majority of those giving us secure attractants. Indeed, evidence is emerging showing
their input agreed that reducing humangrizzly conflict that the biggest driver of humangrizzly bear conflict is
remains an important endeavour. For, despite the progress reduced natural food supply38 and readilyavailable human
made since grizzlies were considered and exterminated as food attractants.39
vermin, humanbear relations still get seriously tested when
grizzly bears lumber out of the wild seeking food on farms, In addition, no matter the driver, we learned that science
ranches or in backyards. With BCs ongoing human indicates that current practices for dealing with conflict are
population growth and spreading development, grizzlies will only temporary solutions that are unlikely to decrease future
continue losing core food resourcerich habitat. The conflicts. How relocation or killing of a problem bear affects
implications of this threat are worrisome because bears who the social dynamics of the local grizzly population is complex
visit communities set amidst the fringes of the wilderness are enoughfor example, two more human conflictprone
at risk of ending up dead. juvenile males might move in if a dominant male is removed
or killed. But, more importantly, evolutionary biology
It is common for people suggests that killing bears who choose to dine in places
to suspect that such that have suddenly (on an evolutionary timescale) become
One of BCs grizzly
ursine visitors have humandominated will do nothing to keep bear after bear
scientists has been
become problem/ convinced by her work from making the same blunder. Dead bears cannot learn
nuisance bears who with grizzlies that anything to teach to their cubs. The same applies to bears
pose and will continue these charismatic suffering road and rail deathsmany grizzlies will continue
to a pose danger. We megafuna are much opting for spring forage along roadsides or to eat spilled
also heard people living more willing to live grain on train tracks despite the danger that they will end up
in areas prone to this with us than we are fatally hit as many of their forbearers were.
phenomenon voice the with them, Lana
belief that a rise in such Ciarniello noted in the Conflict mortality happens in the backcountry too, as
incursions means that the acknowledgements to this category includes grizzlies killed on their wilderness
local bear population has her doctoral thesis. landscapes by people who were not actually hunting them.
grown. Either of these Grizzly bears end up dead in confrontations with ungulate
assumptions, while often (elk, deer, moose) hunters or when shot mistakenly by
not correct, might prompt a decision to relocate grizzlies black bear hunters. Why do grizzly bears get killed in the
or lead to a conclusion that a bearlethal solution is best. wild like this? Researchers say that grizzly bears seem to
38 Artelle, K.A., Anderson, S.C., Reynolds, J.D., Cooper, A.B., Paquet, P.C., and Darimont, C.T. (2016). Ecology of conflict: marine food supply affects humanwildlife
interactions on land. Nature Scientific Reports 6:25936 DOI: 10.1038/srep25936.
39 Personal communication with Michael F. Proctor, Transborder Grizzly Bear Project.

be genetically hardwired to deal with perceived threats kill rate, the computations take into account the estimated
aggressively, so when hunters or trappers surprise grizzlies relative number of people with firearms that spend time in
on their territory it is a recipe for trouble. grizzly bear habitat in the area in question.41
Food attractants can also be an additional driver here.

We heard anecdotal accounts from hunters who believe that RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE
grizzly bears in the BC Interior have come to associate the GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION
sound of gunshots with huntergenerated prey carcasses Support efforts to address attractants at the
or carrion. Ungulate hunters often butcher their prey in the local level by producing a Model Bylaw Toolkit
bush and pack out the meat, leaving behind the entrails and that governments can tailor for implementation
other unwanted parts. Unfortunately, bears sometimes arrive in their own municipality or region.
whilst the hunters are still present. When we asked hunters Launch an outreach program to strengthen knowledgesharing
and trappers whether they carried bear spray in case of such amongst those engaged in grizzly bearfocussed activities
throughout BC. Augment the knowledge base about what can
situations, almost all told us that they would prefer, or feel
best secure the future of the provinces grizzly bears. Report back
more secure, using their guns. This may seem reasonable but to the public annually about the most effective initiatives across
the science has demonstrated that bear spray actually offers the province.
better protection.40Again here, the death of a bear will not
teach other bears to fear hunters. Indeed, its easy to imagine
that a grizzly attracted to gunshots may be one who was RECOMMENDATIONS TO
in the past lucky enough to encounter a pile of elk guts left BC LOCAL AND REGIONAL
behind by a hunter. GOVERNMENTS
Institute measures to reduce attractants in
In the backcountry, poachers too are a growing threat as public spaces and parks.
road densities increasea concern highlighted by many Work to increase the number of communities that are
of the researchers and lay people who shared their views pursuing Bear Smart status.
with us. Despite BCs 1993 ban on trade in bear parts, a Introduce and enforce bylaws regarding attractants.
black market demand endures. Poaching is something that
is difficult to quantify and thus combat. The governments
calculation for setting grizzly hunting maximums first
deducts the average number of nonhunting kills, which
includes an estimate of the unreported kill rate for each
Grizzly Bear Population Unit. To arrive at an unreported
40 Smith, T. S., Herrero, S., Layton, C.S., Larsen, R.T. and Johnson, K.R. (2012). Efficacy of firearms for bear deterrence in Alaska. The Journal of Wildlife Management,
76: 10211027. DOI:10.1002/jwmg.342
41 McLellan, B.N., Hovey, F.W., Woods, J.G. (2000). Rates and Causes of Grizzly Bear Mortality in the Interior Mountains of Western North America. BC Ministry of
Environment, Lands and Parks and University College of the Cariboo.

Social Challenges and Solutions may also soon become the object of calls for bans. This
is the thin edge of the wedgea worry among some
Obviously, since the grizzly behaviours that lead to conflict hunters that if grizzly bear hunting is abolished, eventually
are not something we can simply ask the bears to refrain all hunting will be abolished.
from exhibiting, the onus rests on homo sapiens to figure out
and mitigate this threat. Listening to communities and working collaboratively
with them to find the appropriate tools and incentives so
In terms of human settlements, what must first be that they feel safe is key, we were told by people specialized
considered, we learned, is that there is a social carrying in grizzly bearhuman coexistence. BC and Alberta have
capacity for bears in most communities. In other words, intensive wildlife conflict management programs and
there are only so many grizzly bears local people or food education initiatives that have raised tolerance levels
producers may be willing to deal with. When grizzly bears kill and saved grizzly lives while also boosting public safety.
livestock, destroy beehives or are seen in backyards, people For example, through the BC Ministry of Environments
can be left feeling insecure, either physically, financially, Bear Smart Communities Program, experts work with
or both. While effective equipment exists to deter bears provincial and local governments to not only provide
from urban temptations, agricultural property and hunter clubs, schools and individuals with information but also
camps, the cost of these can be an obstacle. In addition, offer handson training and guidance to municipalities
when a grizzly actually does attack a person, the outcome and business employers/managers, assisting them in
can be very serious or fatal. Government records show implementing sustainable wildlife conflict management
that over a 29year period from 19872016 there were six and mitigation strategies.
grizzlycaused human fatalities in BC.42 Clearly, people living
near grizzly bears need to feel safe if we expect them to On this topic we are also very interested in a research,
accommodate the presence of the grizzlies. When people education and management project done under the
feel safe they are less likely to shoot grizzly bears on sight. BC Hydro Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program that
was brought to our attention by the projects coordinator
There can be an attitudinal link to hunting as well. Based at our Vancouver public meeting. Undertaken in a
on input we received, it became clear to us that reductions community located extremely close to a kokanee spawning
in the number of grizzly bears the government determines channel constructed after the Duncan River was dammed,
can be hunted, or even media coverage of antihunting this project offers invaluable evidence on nonlethal
perspectives, can leave rural people feeling as if their bear management as well as on effective social change
problems and needs are unaddressed. This is particularly techniques. One of the many crucial things we gleaned
true if peoples livelihoods are tied directly or indirectly to from this research was that costsharing initiatives such
hunting. Commenters also remarked that that the tenor as loans of bearresistant bins for garbage or livestock
of a lot of the antigrizzly hunt discourse can make even
hunters who dont hunt grizzly bears fear that other wildlife
42 Personal communication with Anthony Hamilton, Large Carnivore Specialist, BC Ministry of Environment.

feed and subsidies to help with the cost of electric heard about the dedication, hard work, experience and
fencing go a long way in building community capacity for skill of the many public servants who are responsible for
attractant management. implementing that framework.
The Board of Inquiry is of the view that it would be useful Over the past 30 years, some important initiatives have been
for the Grizzly Bear Foundation to focus some major efforts undertaken by the Province to protect the bears. For
on the issue of humanbear conflict. There are a number of example, in 1984 the government established a large
very promising initiatives currently underway and we believe nohunting zone in the Khutzeymateen Valley on BCs north
the Foundation could play an active role in assisting those coast. This was later expanded and, in 1994, became
groups to extend their reach. Additional initiatives that are Khutzeymateen/Ktzimadeen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, a
currently unfunded might also be considered. Class A Provincial Parkthe first area in Canada to be
protected specifically for grizzly bears and their habitat. In
2008, two areas of the Khutzeymateen Inlet were identified
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE for conservancy status during negotiations between the
GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION Province and First Nations governments following the North
Coast Land and Resource Management Plan. In addition, the
Prepare, publish and distribute material for
elementary school children about grizzly bears lands adjacent to the protected areas were closed to grizzly
in BC. Solicit the collaboration of educational bear hunting as were two other coastal zones.
experts, bear biologists, illustrators and
appropriate school curriculum officials.
Formulate and deliver a demonstration project to highlight
the use of electric fences and bear spray in strategic locations.
Do so in partnership with an existing local coexistence
organization. Develop and circulate a Best Practices Guide
on the basis of this work.
C. Provincial Government
Management Issues
The provincial government is tasked with the responsibility
for putting into place the necessary regulatory and
management framework for the protection of grizzly bear
populations in BC. During the course of our inquiry we have
Photo by Province of British Columbia. Grizzly on the outskirts of Stewart, BC.

We have also heard, however, of some significant inventories in datadriven statistical analyses that enable
weaknesses in the current management system. These extrapolation to areas that have not been inventoried.44
systemic weaknesses are: inadequate population estimates, Eightythree of the Provinces 200 grizzly bear population
weak compliance and enforcement capability, insufficient management unitsa subdivision of GBPUshave been
conservation funding, and a fragmented governance regime inventoried, according to DataBC records. Further, according
that impedes public accountability. We are concerned that to what we were told by MFLNRO research ecologist Bruce
the combined impact of these weaknesses in the system McLellan, markrecapture datacollected using DNA from
represent a serious threat to the provincial governments grizzly hair snagging traps has been obtained for
ability to protect the future of the grizzly bears. At a time 35 inventories in the province.45 According to some of the
when balancing the cumulative impact of resource scientists we consulted, this is a fair amount of research
development with biodiversity is becoming ever more considering the peopleavoidant characteristics of grizzlies
difficult, scrutiny of these issues is warranted. and the size of BC.
The reason population

Population Estimates estimates received so Grizzly bears are one
much attention at the of the species that
Due to the vastness and forested nature of the province, Board of Inquirys public have characteristics
the remoteness of many grizzly populations and the overall meetings is that they are that make them
elusiveness of these bears, monitoring them is difficult and used in the calculations hardest to count.
the costs high. How many grizzly bears live in BC has thus the Province makes to try
long been a challenge for government scientists to establish to determine how many
with confidence. grizzly bears they believe
can be hunted without causing populations to decline and
Starting in the early 1970s and through the 1980s, several
risk disappearing. By 1995, with a growing consciousness
research approaches and calculation methods for estimating
of the impact of our rising population, urban development,
populations were tried and refined.43 Since then, as
land use and other human activity46 on grizzly bears, the
technology advanced, tools like Geographic Information
government released the British Columbia Grizzly Bear
Systems and DNA analysis have been added to the scientists
Conservation Strategy. This blueprint for conservation and
toolkit comprising ontheground research, aerial survey, and
management of the provinces grizzly bear populations had
fitting grizzly bears with tracking collars. Today the BC
the mandate of ensuring the continued existence of grizzly
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
bears and their habitats for future generations. It called for
(MFLNRO) uses the resultant improved population
several courses of action and amongst those instituted were
43 Hamilton, A.N. and Austin, M.A. (2001). Grizzly Bear Harvest Management in British Columbia: Background Report. BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection.
44 McLellan, B.N., Mowat, G., Hamilton, T. and Hatter, I. (2016). Sustainability of the grizzly bear hunt in British Columbia, Canada. Jour. Wild. Mgmt.
DOI:10.1002/jwmg.21189
45 MFLNRO. October 2016 meeting with the Grizzly Bear Foundation Board of Inquiry.
46 Province of British Columbia (1995). A Future for the Grizzlies: British Columbia Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.

the crossprovince application of Limited Entry Hunting, additional, focussed resources, another complaint we heard
the governments lottery system for limiting residents from conservationists was that the human resources and
hunting opportunities rather than allowing a general open costs focused on population estimates are detracting from
season, and a quota system for guided nonresident hunters. other urgent work. A popular lament was that the
governments science wasnt translating into action on the
The Strategy also called for the establishment of an advisory ground, such as on boosting connectivity amongst grizzly
committee which in 1998 issued its first report card that populations that are being fragmented or isolated,
contained sharp criticisms regarding the lack of protecting habitat, or reducing mortality levels.
implementation of the Strategy, which officially still remains
the Provinces guiding policy. Since then, the government
has on a number of occasions conducted or commissioned
reviews of its procedures for estimating how many grizzlies Decision making expediency is urgently needed,
can be hunted. Independent scientists47 too have played an noted one of the submissions we received:
important role in critiquing the governments work. While Definitive scientific proof is unnecessary for
some Grizzly Bear Population Units may be temporarily the proper decisions to be made. Decades of
closed to hunting where known mortality has met or scientific study will only provide continued
exceeded allowable limits (as established through the degradation of habitats and populations
MFLNROs Grizzly Bear Harvest Management Procedure48), while impacts escalate with ongoing human
activities be they resource extraction, access
a large number of people told us that they believe it is not
development, or backcountry recreation.
enough. Indeed, prior to the launching of this Board of
Inquiry, the concern of scientists, law experts and
environmentalists had already prompted the decision last
year by the Auditor General of BC to audit the governments Another phrase that we heard serves well to capture a
overall approach to grizzly bear management. In that phenomenon that many on both sides of the grizzly hunt
climate, the government again decided to try to alleviate debate felt was complicating progressmy science versus
concerns. The Scientific Review of Grizzly Bear Harvest your science. It is a wellknown part of human nature that
Management System released last October by the MFLNRO peoples views often fall victim to bias. If somethingeven
detailed many aspects of the hunt management system that widelyaccepted scientific evidencedoes not reinforce
need improving, including population estimates.49 A glaring a narrative that we wish to advance, our subconscious will
item on the recommendation list was the inadequacy of be prone to resisting it. We saw firsthand how grizzly bear
resources, which was exactly in line with what many population estimation can be employed in this way.
commenters alleged to us. Pointing to the need for
47 Artelle, K.A., Anderson, S.C., Cooper, A. B., Paquet, P.C., Reynolds, J. D., & Darimont, C.T. (2013). Confronting Uncertainty in Wildlife Management: Performance of
Grizzly Bear Management. PLoS one 8(11): e78041. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0078041
48 Province of British Columbia (2012). British Columbia Grizzly Bear Population Estimate for 2012. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
49 Boyce, M.S., Derocher, A.E., Garshelis, D.L. (2016). Scientific Review of Grizzly Bear Harvest Management System. Ministry of Forests, Lands and
Natural Resource Operations.

Overall, based on so many of the views we received, We may thus infer that while we argue over the exact
we believe that perhaps the biggest threat posed by numbers of remaining bears, we risk dwindling their
grizzly population estimates as a management tool is population to nothing before we take a definitive step
that they are only part of the picture and a focus on to preserving them.
them may be distracting.
The Province manages the hunt not the grizzlies, we were RECOMMENDATION TO THE
told, and this means it is neglecting the top three areas that PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
are fundamental to grizzly bear conservation: Renew and update the 1995 British Columbia
Population fragmentation and connectivity to heal Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy, and
determine the human and financial resources
that fragmentation.
necessary to implement the Strategy. Include a comprehensive
Habitat qualityi.e., researching and managing habitat public consultation.
for high quality grizzly food.
Habitat securitywhich would entail mortality reduction
actions, nonhunt mortality management actions,
non lethal management of potential problem bears, Weak Compliance and
electric fencing and working with communities, individuals Enforcement Capability
and farmers to help solve their grizzly bear problems.
One of the issues that emerged consistently across the
Indeed, in the face of human development and climate province is the view that BCs conservation officers are
impacts it is important to remember that, as noted by some overstretched and thus cannot respond in a timely way to
of the governments very experienced scientists, grizzly many wildlife enforcement matters, including those involving
bear populations are very dynamic and can go up or down grizzly bears. This concern was expressed by hunters,
quickly due to changes in habitat and food conditions. Add conservationists, guide outfitters, trappers, environmental
in uncertainty about the unreported kill rate of female bears lawyers and many other people.
highlighted by those same scientists50 and it is clear that
rather than asking for exact population numbers, we should Conservation officers are in charge of enforcing the Wildlife
be discussing what level of risk we are willing to accept. Act and the Environmental Management Act, among
For there is a higherlevel certainty; namely, that considered many other laws. In fact, over the past 20 years, their
over longer historical periods, there is no question that responsibilities have grown to include enforcement of over
grizzly populations have decreased. Myriad activities 30 statutes from both federal and provincial jurisdictions.
connected to such a reduction in population have also
increased, only this time exponentially.
50 McLellan, B.N., Mowat, G., Hamilton, T. and Hatter, I. (2016). See supra note 44.

Laws that are not effectively enforced are not taken as contributing in other ways. Apart from the wildlife and
seriously. Without a good compliance and enforcement ecosystem benefits, these programs are not just creating
program people are more inclined to knowingly break employment but strengthening community wellbeing.
the law when there is little expectation of being caught. Based on these diverse benefits, there is increasing
When it comes to grizzly bears, there are numerous illegal pressure on the federal government to help expand the
acts that could have serious implications with regard to the Guardianswhich already numbers around 30 programs
future of these bears. across BCinto a national network. The Board of Inquiry
finds the Guardian model of great interest.
More boots on the ground was a refrain heard over and
over as the obvious solution to the issue of wildlife law Those who flout environmental laws geared to the protection
enforcement. The Society of BC Conservation Officers of wildlife, including grizzly bears, are likely to become ever
emphatically agrees, with their website stating51 that an more brazen as they realize that enforcement capacity is
inadequate staffing level is resulting in higher case loads, inadequate. This is a major malfunction in the current grizzly
slower response times or an inability to respond at all. Our bear management system.
motto used to be Anytime Anywhere now it is Sometimes
Of course formal enforcement is a specialized field entrusted
Maybe, the Society laments. Other organizations have also
to those with a high level of training and the appropriate
voiced concern, BCGEU, the union that represents
legal authority. However other staff and volunteers can
conservation officers, and West Coast Environmental Law
support enforcement activities with methods that proactively
amongst them. In addition, over the last 15 years, the Union
encourage compliance. Whether this takes the form of
of BC Municipalities has endorsed seven resolutions decrying
identifiable monitors in the field or citizens employing an
the lack of funding for the Conservation Service.
app to report law breakers, supportive public contributions
Meanwhile, First Nations would not only serve to deter unauthorized activity, but can
are implementing nation engage more British Columbians in conservation. The app
Our motto used to be
and communitybased Anytime Anywhere, developed by the BC Wildlife Federation is an interesting
initiatives that employ now it is Sometimes example of such efforts. Users take georeferenced,
Indigenous Guardians52 Maybe, laments timestamped photos or videos of illegal use or abuse of
to manage and steward the Society of BC natural resources. Because it uses a phones GPS, the app
lands and waters, whilst Conservation Officers. lets people submit these images even when out of cell
also fostering peoples service areas. Reports get forwarded automatically to the
connection to the land. appropriate enforcement agency.
Guardians monitor
ecological health, protect sensitive areas and species,
maintain cultural sites and interpret cultural aspects, as well
51 The Society of British Columbia Conservation Officers website. Accessed 29 Nov. 2016
52 National Indigenous Guardians Gathering website. Accessed 30 Dec. 2016.

We believe that the provincial government should seek and work that went beyond basic government management
expand creative efforts that can boost wildlife conservation of wildlife and fish resources. In 1997 the HCTF became
capacity in BC. a selfadministering standalone trust within government
and ten years later, the Wildlife Act was again amended to
make it completely independent.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT From this surcharge regime, $155 million has been spent
Expand the Guardian program to more interested on BCs wildlife conservation over these past decades,
First Nations communities, including supporting the HCTF states.53 Yet, when we met a segment of its
them to develop ecotourism infrastructure such
main contributors (hunters), many told us that money for
as accommodations, if this is of interest to them.
conservation is drastically short and that they believe that,
at a minimum, the entirety of hunting licence revenue should
RECOMMENDATION TO THE be going into the fund.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
The case of the grizzlies is an apt illustration of underfunding.
Strengthen Provincial wildlife enforcement
As noted in this report, the comprehensive study of
capability and increase actions that proactively
encourage compliance with wildlife protection laws.
grizzly population trends and all the factors affecting their
landscapes are costly undertakings. As is addressing the
humanbear interactions that too frequently spring from
peoples use of those landscapes. Yet, the conservation
Conservation Funding Model funds that are directed to grizzly bear research, inventory
and monitoring projects amount to only $230,000 per year,
As mentioned in Section 1B on page 9, the government MFLNRO staff told us in an October 2016 meeting. They also
collects more than $7.3 million from hunting licences and gave us a list of notable 2016/17 projects paid for in this way.
fees every year. However, most of this is directed into the These were:
governments general revenue fund and can be used on
Electric fencing studies to reduce conflicts between
other government programs, leaving only the surcharges on
grizzly bears and humans.
some licences to be directed for wildlife conservation work,
amounting to $2.25million a year. Spatial identification of the most important food sources
for grizzly bears in the West Kootenays (huckleberries)
The management of these funds is entrusted to the to inform future food resource supplies and conservation
nonprofit Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF). decisions.
Begun in 1981, this was originally a governmentadministered
Development of specialized habitat models across the
fund set up to provide the resources for hunters, anglers,
threatened South Chilcotin Grizzly Bear Population Unit.
trappers and guide outfitters to undertake conservation
53 Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation website. Accessed 30 December 2016.

M
apping and identification of important grizzly bear In a province where almost 94% of the land is publicly
habitats in the Moberly Grizzly Bear Population Unit to owned, citizens trust the government to be in charge of
inform the designation of Wildlife Habitat Areas. the state of our forests, watersheds and wildlife. So it came
as a surprise to us how reliant BCs wildlife is on the HCTF
Many people told us that they feel the government does not and other nongovernmental conservation organizations.
prioritize wildlife management, or that the realities of the Indeed, in practice, the management of conservation lands
provinces economic indebtedness to natural resources put relies less on specific legislative tools than on stakeholder
the types of work that grizzlies most need at odds with the consultations, partnerships with external agencies, and
provinces fiscal health. It is difficult to make headway on working agreements to facilitate habitatsensitive resource
adjusting general attitudes towards the responsible use, the MFLNRO notes.54
management of grizzly bear populations when the
overwhelming sentiment among those closest to the issue Thankfully, for the grizzly bears, there are some progressive
is that government itself has not prioritized it. proactive conservation oriented management activities
underway in one area of the province targeted at several
threatened grizzly populations. The Transborder Grizzly
Bear Project has been working on recovery of the
threatened South Selkirk and Yahk GBPUs for over a decade.
Instigated and applied totally outside of government, this
effort has received a portion of its funding from the HCTF.
Having identified population fragmentation over much
of the province,55 the project then pinpointed specific
connectivity areas and works to enhance connectivity to
reverse fragmentation.56 It has also been involved with
substantial work to reduce nonhunt humancaused
mortality and collaborates with the BC Conservation Officer
Service to apply nonlethal management actions and
research (following the fates of managed bears to see what
works and what doesnt) that have saved the lives of many
grizzly bears, especially females. Further, the project has
done extensive research into habitat quality and important
Photo by Kathryn Burrington. Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia, food resources, and on habitat security by examining the
Canada. [email protected] role of access management across the region. These are
54 Province of British Columbia. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations: Conservation Lands. Accessed 6 February 2017.
55 Proctor, M.F., Paetkau, D., McLellan, B.N., et al. (2016). See supra note 27.
56 Proctor, M.F., Nielsen, S.E., Kasworm, W.F., Servheen, C., Radandt, T.G., MacHutchon, A.G. and Boyce, M.S. (2015). Grizzly bear connectivity mapping in the
CanadaUS transborder region. Journal of Wildlife Management 79:54455. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.862.

comprehensive activities that the Grizzly Bear Foundation for things like the decommissioning of roads built for
believes should be emulated by the Province of BC as they industry use and addressing road density. Intersecting with
are realizing positive results. the latter is the fact that outdoor recreation is of growing
social importance to BC residents and becoming a
Perhaps the question of what the public wants for BCs
significant part of the tourism sector, yet effective tools for
grizzly bears could be a catalyst for an open sharing of
managing human access to the wilderness are lacking or
innovative solutions that see us find a better path forward.
not being utilized.
The Board of Inquiry believes that more public and First
Nations engagement could expand the stakeholder pool and
strengthen the partnerships and grassroots initiatives upon
which wildlife conservation currently hinges. FORESTRY MANAGEMENT
As omnivores, grizzlies are adaptable, yes,
as natural disturbances happen all the time to
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE forests. However, the health of BCs forests is
GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION suffering due to climate change and drought,
Appoint a research advisory committee to as well as pine and spruce beetle outbreaks.
identify knowledge gaps and formulate future Many who gave us input voiced their doubts on
research priorities for the Foundation. whether the government process for determining
Explore the establishment of a BC universitybased institute the amount of timber that can be logged is flawed
that will cultivate a repository of grizzly bear research and make and the amount cut thus excessive.
it publicly available.
Part of this problem, some commenters told us, is that

a reorganization of government services and ministry
Organizational Fragmentation responsibilities in 2010 saw the inclusion of Fish and Wildlife
Since natural resource sectors are so key to the economic management within the Ministry of Forests, Lands and
health of the province and yet can have substantial habitat Natural Resource Operations. I see [this inclusion] as a
impacts, land use planning is by default a part of the grizzly seriously backward step for it results in any conflict on fish
picture. Other industry regulation and decision making and wildlife in relation to the management of provincial
processes also interplay with wildlife conservation. As is lands and forests being resolved within one ministry without
illustrated in the Appendix: What We Were Told, we heard any possibility of discussion at either the public or cabinet
serious concern about how the amount of forest that can be level, said an engineer with long involvement working on
cut annually is determined. In addition, a large portion of conservation with provincial ministries in regard to grizzly
those who spoke to us also questioned whether companies bears. Indeed, if one looks at the MFLNROs most recent
extracting natural resources are being held accountable for
the true costs of accessing the public resource. This includes

Photo by U.S. Geological Survey. Mountain Pine Beetle impacted forest. Yellowstone National Park, Colorado, US
Service Plan,57 the fact that Streamlined authorizations GeorgeMackenzie MLA Mike Morris (Parliamentary
processes is the first objective listed might support Secretary to the Minister of FLNRO Steve Thomson at the
that view. time) recommended a review of all resource laws with a view
to consolidating them. In addition, it argued that nebulous
Other key players have also found the organizational and ambiguous language should be removed from the
framework to be dysfunctional. A January 2011 Report of Forest and Range Practices Act as it significantly lowers the
the BC Task Force on Species at Risk noted fragmented threshold protecting our biodiversity. The report, released
accountability and shrinkage of budgets as administrative in December 2015 and entitled Getting the Balance Right:
limitations in the current approach to conservation
in the province.58 The government itself is cognizant
of such problems and an internal report from Prince
57 Province of British Columbia (2016). Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations 2016/172017/18 Service Plan.
58 BC Species at Risk Task Force (2011). Report of the British Columbia Task Force on Species at Risk, January 31, 2011.

maintaining that legislative change and funding capacity are
exactly the bigpicture issues that we need to start tackling if
THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF FORESTRY IN BC
we are serious about sustaining biodiversity in the province.
Source: Province of BC (2016). Strong Past, Bright Future:
A Competitiveness Agenda for British Columbias Forest Sector.
Observers have noted that the report got to the heart of
MFLNRO. how to protect wildlife habitat and that Morriss conclusions
were already welldocumented, including in reports from the
Auditor General and the BC Ombudsman.
In terms of how this impacts grizzly bear conservation,

one comment from the governmentcommissioned 2016
Scientific Review of Grizzly Bear Harvest Management
System was inline with what several others with direct
experience mentioned to us. Commenting on whether a
recommendation from a previous review had been followed
to ensure that landuse planning initiatives by the Ministry of
Forests reflect the needs of wildlife in general, and the needs
of grizzly bears in particular, within a context of ecosystem
management, the report noted:
There is no higherlevel planning occurring in the Province.

FWB [Fish and Wildlife Branch of the MFLNRO] indicates
that they are reaching the limits of habitat protection
for grizzly bears. Moreover, there are other species
(e.g., caribou) with greater habitat and conservation needs
than grizzly bears.60
We obviously understand that natural resources play a

Improving Wildlife Habitat Management in BC, also called on key role in BCs economy, and that balancing this fact with
the Province to add more natural resource compliance and our provinces biodiversitywhich is already impacted by
enforcement officers and to expand their powers. climate change and problems like beetle epidemicsis a
complex challenge. However, the Board of Inquiry thinks
Minister Thomson said that while the essence of the
it is important that emphasis be placed on how these two
Morris report would be implemented, recommendations
priorities are intrinsically interlinked. Otherwise both are at
on changes in law and the addition of staff wouldnt
risk. To again quote the Task Force on Species at Risk:
be.59 Wildlife conservation advocates were disappointed,
59 Hoekstra, G. B.C. balks at changing law to protect wildlife and biodiversity. Vancouver Sun, 21 December 2015.
60 Boyce, M.S., Derocher, A.E., Garshelis, D.L. (2016). See supra note 49.

Increasing numbers of ecological communities and RECOMMENDATION TO THE
species entering the atrisk lists can be interpreted as an GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION
indicator of declining ecosystem condition and extent. Solicit a partnership with a major forestry
This is important because ecosystems lie at the heart company. Reach an understanding of the needs
of our economy by providing irreplaceable ecosystem and issues the forestry industry faces in terms
services, ranging from clean water to fertile soils to of access planning. Demonstrate how logging and grizzly bear
pollination of crops to abundant renewable resources to protection can both be accommodated. Develop and circulate
a Best Practices Guide on the basis of this work.
carbon sequestration. The species that we are potentially
losing are the biological moving parts that keep our
ecological communities functioning.
Thriving grizzly bear populations, as we suggest in this

report, could well serve as the charismatic face of those
healthy ecological communities. In that way they can inspire
us all to join in reminding the government that the provinces
economic health is tied to the condition of our environment.
Photo by Jim Lawrence KootenayReflections.com

3
Grizzly Bear Hunting:
Conservation & Ethical Questions
A. Is Hunting Grizzlies judgment. We believe that adequate safeguards have been
established to ensure, with a high degree of confidence,
a Conservation Issue? the sustainability of this harvest.61 The report nonetheless
made 51 recommendations to improve the system. The
The governmentapproved killing of grizzly bears by licensed authors also noted that they had not considered the ethical
hunters is an issue that has attracted significant public and issues of hunting grizzlies. In essence, the authors of this
media attention over the past many years. Indeed, some report conclude that it is possible to sustain the grizzly bear
government officials complain that the public focus on the populations of this province while at the same time allowing
hunting of grizzlies diverts attention from more pressing a highly regulated hunt to take place in selected areas.
issues that need addressing if we are to protect and restore
grizzly bears in our province. On the other hand, many of As of the writing of this report, the provincial government
BCs citizens and organizations are astonished that grizzlies has not publicly committed to implementing any of the
continue to be hunted for sport and trophies and that we recommendations contained in the report. Nor does the
have not eliminated this hunt long ago. provincial government have anything to say, that we know
of, about the ethical issues involved in the killing of grizzlies.
In October 2016, the provincial government released a The Province released this report as evidence that its
report written by three scientists it had retained to provide longstanding policy of authorizing the killing of grizzly bears
an independent review of the grizzly bear management under strict government management is a sound policy and
system in British Columbia. The review concluded that one that does not jeopardize the future of grizzly bears in
the BC grizzly bear harvest management procedures BC. In other words, it is of the view that hunting of grizzlies is
have attained a high level of rigour with a solid scientific not a conservation issue.
underpinning modified, as necessary, by professional
61 Boyce, M.S., Derocher, A.E., Garshelis, D.L. (2016). See supra note 49.

Additional reasons the provincial government often offers62 of their population. If there are too many bears and food
for authorizing the hunt include: hunting has long been a becomes scarcer or dominant males monopolize access
recreational and cultural pursuit for many British Columbians to food sources as they sometimes do, fewer cubs will
and one they are entitled to enjoy; hunting by residents and be born. This is because female grizzlies are delayed
nonresidents alike brings important revenues to the implantersafter becoming pregnant, their bodies halt
province that can be used for conservation purposes as well embryo development temporarily. Then, in late fall, if the
as associated spending to local economies; and, hunters mother is nutritionally healthy enough to sustain cubs,
provide valuable information and insights about the state of embryo development will restart. Further, scientists such
our wildlife that help the government in ensuring that our as those on the Transborder Grizzly Bear Project are
province retains its many wildlife resources. showing that there are many nonlethal ways of managing
humanbear conflicts.
Some hunters believe
that the killing of GRIZZLY BEARS Some hunters believe that grizzlies are killing too many
grizzlies under strictly REPORTED KILLED BY ungulates and therefore are responsible for the decrease
regulated conditions HUNTERS IN 2015 of caribou and moose populations in certain parts of BC.
determined by the Source: MFLNRO data 2016. Again, the science does not support this causal relationship,
government will assist but rather points to the existence of a more complex set of
conservation efforts factors, including humancaused habitat alteration. Studies
by managing excess are currently underway at the provincial government level
bears who would to find out what the many causes of the moose population
otherwise create decline might be.
more humanbear
Many hunters have asserted that by killing large male
conflict. There does
not seem to be any grizzly bears they are protecting the lives of grizzly cubs
and therefore helping to maintain a healthy grizzly bear
scientific support for
population. The science is not clear on this issue and there
this position. Indeed
may in fact be contrary conclusions to be drawn from the
recent empirical
research available to date.
evidence, based on
RESIDENT HUNTERS
54 years of data from NONRESIDENT HUNTERS Finally, both the provincial government and many hunters
BC grizzly bears, have stated that hunting grizzlies is part of our cultural
suggests that hunting heritage and ought therefore to be respected as such.
has no effect on The question is however: is it a cultural heritage to be
bearhumanconflict.63 In addition, grizzlies are slow continued or one to be remembered? Should what may have
reproducers and are known to selfregulate the density
62 Province of British Columbia (2007). A Strategy for Resident Hunter Recruitment and Retention in British Columbia. Ministry of Environment, Fish & Wildlife Branch.
63 Artelle, K.A., Anderson, S.C., Reynolds, J.D. et al. (2016). See supra note 38.

been necessary for survival for our ancestors be reenacted it seems reasonable to these environmental specialists that
in this day and age for sport? Some of our past cultural a healthy skepticism about the sustainability of the hunt is
practices in many domains of Canadian life are remembered still warranted.
but not continued, and for very good reasons.
The BC Wildlife Federation and the Guide Outfitters

Association of BC 64 agree with government that the hunt B. Is Hunting Grizzlies
is not at odds with grizzly conservation. an Ethical Issue?
Despite these reassurances from such longinvolved
Most people we spoke with concede that hunting for food
sources, there are still a number of biologists and other
is an acceptable reason for killing animals as long as it is
knowledgeable people who believe that our provincial policy
done in a responsible manner, consistent with the survival
of allowing a grizzly bear hunt has the potential to jeopardize
of the species being hunted. Similarly, a majority seem to
the longterm sustainability of the bears. They believe that
accept that sometimes it is necessary, for reasons of public
the grizzly population estimates are suspect or inadequate
safety and protection of property, to kill grizzly bears. It is
and that the hunt is shortsighted and risky. This is because
the killing of animals for sport and trophies that generates
there are various unpredictable cumulative factors such
such heated debate.
as food source shocks, rail accidents and poaching that
could combine to produce major negative changes in a The times have changed in BC since bounties were paid for
grizzly population and government scientists are not in grizzly hides. A new appreciation of the value of our natural
the position to be aware of all such situations in a timely environment has involved a widespread reconsideration
way. If this were to occur, it would be extremely difficult for of how we relate to our wildlife. This is especially true as
a grizzly population to recover and, since grizzlies serve regards to our relationship with grizzly bears. First Nations
as an ecological barometer, would likely indicate broader have always had a deeply respectful attitude toward the
ecological problems. grizzly; by contrast, the first Europeans who arrived in BC
were afraid of these big creatures and killed them at will.
The potential impacts of climate change on salmon runs,
berry availability, temperature changes leading to denning Over the past 50 years, however, we have slowly begun
time adjustments, combined with BCs ongoing human to consider ways of living in harmony with these animals.
Those who are against grizzly hunting believe that where
population growth (which will spur continued resource
there are grizzly bears, there are healthy wild ecosystems.
extraction and recreational pursuits in the backcountry),
And wilderness is an essential feature of our province.
mean that we can anticipate mounting pressures on grizzly
bears in terms of habitat alteration, loss and fragmentation, Grizzlies are iconic to BC. People come from all over the
world to view them and to admire them. They are an intrinsic
and contact with humans. Under these circumstances,
part of our heritage.
64 Guide Outfitters Association of BC. News release, 1 April 2016: Grizzly Bear Science.

Wildlife management literature has begun to recognize and animals owned by humans, such as farm animals, it has now
study these strong attitudinal shifts that support restoring a expanded to include wild animals. Indeed, a submission we
more harmonious relationship between humans and wildlife. received from Kristen Walker, of the Applied Animal Biology
Recent major surveys of attitudes of British Columbians on Faculty at the University of British Columbia, highlighted how
the status and future of grizzlies have indicated a general our own society has doublestandards that deserve scrutiny.
desire among a significant and crosssectional majority of While this is not to say that that hunters do not follow their
people in our province to end the hunt.65 own code of ethics, hunting in BC is largely unregulated
from an animal welfare perspective, she noted.
On what basis are an increasing number of people
demanding that the hunt be eliminated? We have briefly The issue of humane
reviewed the conservation reasons above. From an ethical euthanasia (or good death) Most of the hunting
perspective we have heard and read about a variety of has been comprehensively is done out of a
reasons. Some animal rights groups are simply against addressed in production vehicle or boat so
the human use of all animals for whatever reason, and this animal, companion animal it is not a physically
includes the grizzlies. Others, and they are more numerous and research animal demanding hunt,
and closely identified with animal welfarenot animal settings. There are set advertises one guide
rightsconsider it wrong to kill an animal simply for the performance standards of outfitters grizzly
sport of it or to bring home as a trophy its head, claws or how long an animal should bear hunt web page.
hide. They believe that inflicting pain and suffering on a be conscious before being
grizzly bear for the simple recreation of a human hunter is slaughtered in production
cruel and irresponsible. animal systems, with detailed regulations and training
protocols that are species specific, Walker explained.
There is a large body of respected academic literature on There are no such regulations or training protocols that exist
this very topic. Indeed, major thinkers at some of the worlds in British Columbia for bear species.
top academic institutions are reaching new conclusions
about our ethical obligations towards what are commonly It is quite possible that the advent of home made videos
called non human animals. This is no longer a fringe widely distributed on the internet has contributed to the
area of study but a major undercurrent in the disciplines publics growing distaste for grizzly bear hunting. The reality
of philosophy, ethics, anthropology, sociology, biology, of the huntinvolving long range rifles with scopes, the use
psychology, etc. of dogs wearing GPS collars, the frequent need to shoot a
grizzly more than once to kill it, the obvious distress of the
Animal welfare is a field of science taught in universities that animal once hithas been captured on camera, along with
encompasses several disciplines including biology, the triumphant cries of exaltation from the hunters involved.
behavioural ecology, evolutionary psychology, physiology, For most people, these are sobering videos to watch. There
neuroscience, ethics and economics. Focused initially on is a huge disconnect between these images and the myth of
65 Insights West. Survey on Animals in BC and Alberta October 5, 2015 (detailed data tabulations).

the hunter fearlessly taking on this wild and dangerous Science plus would probably be a more accurate way of
animal, risking life and limb to do so. In most of the videos, describing those thoughtful individuals who are against the
the grizzly is ambling across a valley, feeding on salmon or grizzly hunt. They argue that science is absolutely necessary
munching on huckleberries when hit several times from a in wildlife management but it is not sufficient for determining
distance, and is thus writhing in pain by the time it is killed. grizzly bear management policies.
Another ethical issue shared by many individuals who

gave input to the Inquiry is the use of language by hunters,
guide outfitters and the provincial government. They refer
euphemistically to harvesting grizzly bears as opposed to
killing grizzlies. Harvestable surplus is used to describe
the number of bears the government determines can be
killed by hunters. They say success rate instead of kill rate
to describe the rate of hunter kills compared to the number
of tags/quotas issued. Dr. Gosia Bryja, summarized the
language concerns in a submission she sent us:
Years of educationformal or informalabout wildlife

management and conservation have shaped our views
and beliefs about the natural world. Words like crop,
harvest, stock, cull, yield and surplus used in biological
Photo by Jim Lawrence KootenayReflections.com sciences and by government institutions in reference
to wildlife have been so broadly and indiscriminately
disseminated that they have achieved a predictable
It would be a mistake to believe that those who are
outcomestripping us of compassion towards
antihunting for ethical reasons are antiscience.
nonhuman animals.
As a prominent evolutionary biologist remarked:
Science deepens our intimacy with the world. But there
is a danger in an exclusively scientific way of thinking.66
Essentially, he argued: science is one story, true but
not complete and the world cannot be encompassed in
one story.67
66 Haskell, D.G. (2012). The Forest Unseen: A Years Watch in Nature. Penguin Books.
67 Gorman, J. Finding Zen in a Patch of Nature. New York Times, 22 October 2012.

C. The Board of Inquirys Some conservation minded nonprofit organizations
that work on grizzly bear issues have not taken a public
Position on the Hunt position with regard to the hunt. They tend to focus on
communitybased habitat and food source issues and work
In this report we have summarized what we have heard with all those who have the authority to deal with grizzlies,
from various groups and individuals on this issue. Here we including the hunting community.
consider these points of view and then present our opinion
on this matter. At the other end of this continuum are a large number of
individuals, and conservation and environmental groups
The provincial governments position, as explicitly stated that are completely opposed to the grizzly hunt. They are
in many documents over many years, is that the hunt is of the view that, whether properly managed or not, the hunt
carefully managed and thus presents no major issues presents a major threat with regard to the conservation of
with regard to the conservation of the grizzly in BC. the grizzly in BC. They say that the science supporting the
The government says that the hunt is based on sound hunt is incomplete and not to be relied upon, resources
biological science, is closely monitored and adjusted to monitor the consequences of the hunt are inadequate
as required based on new and emerging information. and there is no certainty to the actual numbers of grizzly
An elaborate system of quotas and authorizations has deaths each year. Further, to many it appears that the
been designed to target the hunt to areas that they system of quotas and authorizations has been developed
calculate can sustain a certain number of hunter kills, as a policy method to rationalize the maximization of
which is currently 41 of 56 Grizzly Bear Population Units. hunting opportunities.
This position is supported by the Guide Outfitters Some people told us they believe it is simply unethical and
Association of BC and the BC Wildlife Federation. In indefensible to kill these animals for sport. Others are of the
addition, these two groups believe that allowing a grizzly view that whether or not the science indicates that the hunt
hunt adds value to the populations of grizzlies in the can be pursued in a sustainable way does not mean that the
province thereby helping to ensure the continued survival hunt should be pursued. That ethical questionwhat is the
of this species. In a nutshell, these groups are of the view justification for killing grizzly bears for sport?is not one
that allowing the killing of some grizzlies by authorized that can be answered exclusively by biological science. It is
hunters under strict government regulation is helping a question of ethics and one that must consider a broader
to conserve the larger grizzly population by preventing range of social and cultural norms.
indiscriminate and unmonitored killing. In this way not only
do they preserve the species but they also ensure that their As previously noted, many but not all First Nations
traditional hunting practices will be maintained over time. communities have banned the hunt in their territories
They also point out that a percentage of the government although the provincial government does not at the moment
surcharge attached to every grizzly hunters license is acknowledge the legitimacy of these bans.
directed to grizzly conservation projects.

Having reflected upon and discussed these various points for cameras, the bear viewing industry and the
of view with biologists, conservation groups, First Nations, bear viewing public are examples of a new social
animal welfare groups, hunters and guide outfitters, ethic in relation to wildlife. This is an ethic that the
provincial government representatives and many others, provincial government has chosen to ignore in terms
our Inquiry has reached its own conclusions about the grizzly of its public policies on grizzly bear management. The
bear hunt, which are as follows: active role of many conservation and environmental
organizations has also been instrumental in bringing
1. There is no doubt that hunters, guide outfitters and the public attention to the status and future of the grizzly
BC Wildlife Federation (comprised largely of anglers bear in our province. Their dedication and commitment
and hunters) have historically played an invaluable role to wildlife management has not, in our opinion, been
in conserving our wildlife over the past many years in properly reflected in the provincial government wildlife
partnership with the provincial government. At a time management system.
when very few other BC residents were interested,
they spent time and money and amassed experience 3. Numerous First Nations have a strong cultural
exploring the outdoors, working with government on connection to the grizzly and oppose hunting the grizzly
conservation issues and contributing to conservation for sport. Their views and their responsibilities in terms
research. In response to their enthusiasm for hunting of the management of the lands and resources in their
and willingness to contribute financially to conservation traditional territories have been confirmed in several
issues, the provincial government has developed a close important Supreme Court of Canada decisions. Many
working relationship with these groups and set aside, First Nations have taken significant steps to exert their
or protected in various ways, some large tracts of habitat views without acknowledgement from the provincial
needed for the wellbeing of the grizzly bear populations government or hunters.
in the province. These measures have combined to
produce what is called the harvestable surplus of 4. We believe that the future of the grizzly bears in our
bears, which is then made available for hunters to kill province is going to be unavoidably compromised
within carefully defined regulations. These efforts, while by certain trends that are already taking shape. This
clearly intended to ensure the survival of the grizzly, have includes increased urbanization associated with human
focused on assuring that hunters have something to population expansion, surging backcountry recreational
hunt. pursuits, climate change, continuing resource
development, and declining wild salmon runs. Grizzlies
2. There is also no doubt that in the past 20 years need large undisturbed spaces in which to roam. It will be
an increasing number of BC residents and foreign ever more difficult to provide those spaces given current
tourists have newly discovered the magnificent trends, the cumulative impacts of which are inestimable
wilderness of BC. It is no longer just traditional users even using the best science available at the present time.
of the backcountry but entirely new groups who Under these circumstances, allowing hundreds of grizzly
are accessing the wilderness. Viewing our wildlife bears to be legally killed every year for sport or trophies
in their natural environments and exchanging guns is unreasonable in our opinion. As host of one of North

Americas last sizable populations of grizzlies, we believe But let us be clear: assuming government would consider
the onus is on the Province to take every precaution to this option and discontinue the hunt, that would in and of
ensure these bears continue to thrive here. itself save hundreds of bears from a painful death each year.
But it would not alone ensure the long term viability of the
5. We are convinced that there is no one measure that alone grizzly in our province. All the critical issues around habitat
can ensure the longterm survival of the grizzlies in BC. protection, food sources and nonhunter grizzly kills would
Having considered all the information that we have reviewed remain and need to be addressed if we are to ensure the
during this inquiry, it is eminently reasonable to conclude future of grizzly bears.
that the era of hunting of grizzly bears ought to come to While many of these issues are profoundmacro,
an end. It seems to us that the BC public is experiencing a systemic, intrinsicand may not pertain exclusively to
dramatic shift in its relationship to the natural environment the grizzlys plight in BC, the issue of hunting does. Unlike all
and in particular to the wildlife that is so central to our view the other factors that conspire to challenge the grizzly,
of British Columbia. Inflicting deliberate pain on a grizzly abolishing hunting is exclusively within our reach.
bear for the sport of it or to acquire a trophy head, rug or
claws is unjustifiable.
Further, of all the factors that have a negative influence on

our grizzly bear populations, hunting is the one that is
easiest to eliminate. Simply stop the hunt. This will free up
enormous amounts of energy from government staff and
hunters alike to focus on other threats to the grizzly
population. Numbers will no longer be an issue that
consumes inordinate resources. Sustenance hunters will
continue to have a valuable role to play in safeguarding our
natural environment. So will a large number of other
environmental enthusiasts.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
Terminate all hunting of grizzly bears in BC.
Photo by Jim Lawrence KootenayReflections.com

The end of the grizzly bear hunt should be accompanied There is no reason why a reasonable surcharge, similar
by a number of important considerations. There is the to the one that is currently applied to hunting and fishing,
question of compensation for those guide outfitters who could not be applied to others who wish to pursue the
rely on the grizzly hunt for their livelihood. There is an experience of coming into close contact with grizzlies in
urgent need to expand the bearrelated education projects their natural environments.
and other supports that currently exist in BC to address
As we have illustrated
the relationship between bears and humans and what
in this report, there
needs to be done for both to live in harmony. There may CONSERVATION FOR
are many threats to GRIZZLIES REQUIRES
be opportunities to assist those residents who live closest
the protection and THESE KEY LIFE
to bears with deterrent aids that are known to be effective
restoration of grizzly REQUISITES:
such as electric fences. Finding out what makes people feel
bears in our province.
unsafe if they live in grizzly bear territory and working with A place to live (habitat)
These are complex and
them to become familiar with the tools they require to feel Security (freedom from
require the involvement
safe is essential. persecution)
and good will of the
There is a pressing need to enhance the capability of provincial government, Sufficient foods
conservation officers to ensure compliance with laws conservation A mate
impacting the grizzly and to work closely with those groups, hunters and
local governments and individuals who are the grizzlies guide outfitters,
closest neighbours. and recreational
groupsjust to name a fewworking together on
Finally, the potential for growth of the bear viewing and
longterm solutions. It is our intention to be part of this
ecotourism industries needs to be developed. A regulatory
process and to contribute to the longterm survival of the
framework needs to be pursued to ensure that these grizzly. Over the coming months we will announce further
activities are conducted in a manner that protects the priorities for research, education and conservation to protect
bears. These opportunities provide four major benefits: and restore grizzly bear populations in British Columbia.
first, grizzlies can be admired without being killed; second,
they add value to the bear by increasing the respect such
viewing generates among the public; third, these industries
create jobs for local people; and last but not least, they can
provide additional revenues for government that could be
used for conservation purposes.

4
Bear Viewing
As noted in our Terms of Reference, the Board of Inquiry is needed for bear viewing operations to be successful.
has gathered information and advice from a broad group of For instance, the following five criteria have been suggested
BC residents and organizations to help us better understand by LD Aumiller and CA Matt:68
a number of issues related to the status and future of the Viewability of bears. There must be a good population,
grizzly bears in BC. One of our specific interests was if and ideally at a predictable natural food source.
how the bear viewing industry and its growth could be
Stable land status and the ability to regulate other
supported in a responsible manner, including the potential
human traffic.
for increased employment opportunities.
Buffer zones to protect habituated bears. The protected
We learned that over the past 20 years grizzly bear viewing area should encompass the home ranges of most of the
has become an important recreational opportunity for many bears using the site, and there should be consistent human
Canadians and foreign tourists. There are currently more conduct within this entire area.
than 30 specialized bear viewing operators in BC as well as
Stable funding to ensure quality management and proper
some ecotourism operations that include bear viewing, most
supervision of visitors.
but not all of them located on the Coast. The industry has
been a source of employment for British Columbians and Establishment of a management plan with defined goals
made significant economic contributions to the province. and objectives.
Bear viewing has not only meant a source of revenue for
Clearly, bear viewing is no easy, quick or cheap way to bring
operators but it has also offered first hand and upclose
humans and bears together successfully in close proximity
education to thousands of people about grizzly bears, how
to one another. Considerable skill, knowledge and financial
they live and what they need to survive.
resources are necessary to ensure a safe experience for
Along the way, a number of best management regimes people and bears and one that can be sustained over time.
have emerged that both protect bear viewers and bears.
There is also a growing body of knowledge about what
68 As noted in Davis, H. and Himmer, S. (2010). BearViewing Areas in Alaska and British Columbia and Implications to Tweedsmuir Park (South).

One important question that has been raised about this Khutzeymateen, as part of a partnership agreement with
industry is what impact it has on bears if they become BC Parks and Lax Kwalaams First Nations, viewing guides
habituated to people. Grizzly bears who become habituated contribute a per person donation to the Khutzeymateen Park
do not show overt reaction when people are nearby. Enhancement Fund. In addition, the bear viewing industry
Foodconditioned bears who associate food with humans, has begun contributing to important conservation research
on the other hand, can become major problems and create through the Brown Bear Research Network but this project
serious safety threats to humans. The current thinking is dependent on voluntary contributions from just some, but
and experience seems to be that habituated bears do not not all, operators.
constitute a problem for humans but foodconditioned bears
Can grizzly bear viewing be extended to other parts of the
do. Further, it should be added that habituated bears are
province? We believe this question is well worth exploring.
likely to be easy targets for hunters as they do not associate
First, because when managed carefully bear viewing can
people with danger and are therefore not likely to leave the
be organized to have a minimal impact on bear behaviour
scene when approached by people. From the information
while at the same time it has an important environmental
weve gathered, it is our conclusion that bear viewing and
education component which will be to the bears benefit
hunting cannot coexist in the same locality.
in the long run. And second, because this industry has
As a result of the popularity of bear viewing and the significant economic and employment advantages from
increasing number of people and operators who wish to which the province can benefit. This is an industry that can
enjoy or provide this experience, it seems to us that the be managed to become both economically important and
time has come to consider a stronger provincial regulatory environmentally friendly.
framework to oversee this industry. Bear viewing is not a
neutral activity from the bears point of view. The number
of people who are watching, location of viewing sites, hours RECOMMENDATION TO THE
of viewing, proximity to campgrounds and roads, availability GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION
of trained staff, all combine to make bear viewing an activity Conduct a study of potential new grizzly bear
that could have either a negative or a neutral impact on viewing opportunities across BC, in collaboration
with a bear biologist and a representative of the
bears. While the Commercial Bear Viewing Association
bear viewing industry.
has established some best practices on these issues in
partnership with government and other interested parties
(for more details, see the Appendix: What We Were Told), RECOMMENDATION TO THE
the fact is these standards unregulated and not necessarily PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
followed by all bear viewing operators. Regulate the bear viewing industry in
consultation with representatives of this industry.
It also would seem reasonable for bear viewers and
operators to contribute to the provinces grizzly bear
conservation program in a manner regulated by the Province
and applied to all operators and viewers. Currently, in the

5
Summary of Recommendations
The Board of Inquiry has embarked on this journey Recommendations
determined to learn what the grizzly bears of our province
require in the short and long term to enjoy a secure future. to the Grizzly Bear
As noted in the introduction, we have learned a great deal Foundation
about these bears and the threats to their wellbeing. We
are extremely grateful for the time, effort and expertise
that so many people and organizations have contributed Education
to our Inquiry. The work that is being done by numerous
communitybased organizations to support grizzly bear 1. Prepare, publish and distribute material for elementary
populations is impressive and much needed. The Grizzly school children about grizzly bears in BC. Solicit the
Bear Foundation looks forward to working collaboratively collaboration of educational experts, bear biologists,
with these organizations to achieve our common goal of illustrators and appropriate school curriculum officials.
securing the future of grizzly bears.
2. Formulate and deliver a demonstration project to
The Grizzly Bear Foundations education, conservation and highlight the use of electric fences and bear spray in
research contributions to this effort can now get started. strategic locations. Do so in partnership with an existing
We have proposed several recommendations to guide the local coexistence organization. Develop and circulate
Foundations work. Upon approval of the Foundations Board a Best Practices Guide on the basis of this work.
of Directors, some initiatives will begin immediately, others
will be implemented in phases as funding becomes available.
Conservation
Grizzly bears in our province face substantial threats.
We fear for the future of the bears unless all levels of 3. Facilitate a forum with First Nations to consider potential
government take a stronger leadership role in securing partnership initiatives to secure the status and future of
their future. grizzly bears.

4. Launch an outreach program to strengthen 10. Support efforts to address attractants at the local level
knowledgesharing amongst those engaged in grizzly by producing a Model Bylaw Toolkit that governments
bearfocussed activities throughout BC. Augment the can tailor for implementation in their own municipality
knowledge base about what can best secure the future or region.
of the provinces grizzly bears. Report back to the public
annually about the most effective initiatives across
the province.
Recommendations
5. Solicit a partnership with a major forestry company. to the Federal
Reach an understanding of the needs and issues the
forestry industry faces in terms of access planning. Government
Demonstrate how logging and grizzly bear protection
can both be accommodated. Develop and circulate 11. Expand the Guardian program to more interested
a Best Practices Guide on the basis of this work. First Nation communities, including supporting them
if they wish to develop ecotourism infrastructure such
as accommodations.
Research 12. Salmon provide extremely important nutrient subsidies
6. Appoint a research advisory committee to identify to terrestrial plant and animal communities, including
knowledge gaps and formulate future research priorities grizzly bears. In preparing its implementation plan for the
for the Grizzly Bear Foundation. Wild Salmon Policy, we recommend that the Department
of Fisheries and Oceans explicitly consider in its
7. In collaboration with recreation groups, clubs and allocation formula the nutritional needs of grizzly bears,
commercial operators, undertake a study regarding a keystone species in the predatorscavenger complex
the impact of access to the backcountry and propose that uses and distributes marine nutrients.
strategies for the protection of sensitive grizzly
bear habitat.
8. Explore the establishment of a BC universitybased Recommendations

institute that will cultivate a repository of grizzly bear
research and make it available to the public.
to the Provincial
Government
9. Conduct a study of potential new grizzly bear
viewing opportunities across BC, in collaboration 13. Terminate all hunting of grizzly bears in BC.
with a bear biologist and a representative of the bear
viewing industry. 14. Regulate the bear viewing industry in consultation with
representatives of this industry.

15. Renew and update the 1995 British Columbia Grizzly
Bear Conservation Strategy, and determine the human
and financial resources necessary to implement the
Strategy. Include a comprehensive public consultation.
16. Strengthen Provincial wildlife enforcement capability and

increase actions that proactively encourage compliance
with wildlife protection laws.
Recommendations
to BC Local & Regional
Governments
17. Institute measures to reduce attractants in public
spaces and parks.
18. Work to increase the number of communities that are Photo by Jim Lawrence KootenayReflections.com
pursuing Bear Smart status.
19. Introduce and enforce bylaws regarding attractants.

A
Appendix A: What We Were Told
At the six public meetings held last Fall, as well as through below) such as the need to protect grizzly bears home
written and oral input, the Board of Inquiry heard from a lands from the cumulative effects of resource development
wide variety of individuals and groups. As illustrated in the and humanbear conflict. Another recurring topic was
body of this report, the challenges faced by BCs grizzlies the impact on grizzly bears and other wildlife of forestry,
are several. We begin this appendix with some specific areas growing road densities and the increasing popularity of
of concern that were shared by many people, regardless wilderness activities and the resultant spread of mountain
of whether or not they opposed the grizzly bear hunt. bike trails and use of motorized recreational vehicles. On
Following this, in order to organize all input in a way that these topics we gained insight from individual experts and
allowed us to draw out common themes and viewpoints, a variety of conservation organizations, including Wildsight
we found that dividing commenters by their opinion of the and the Sierra Club, and others with specialized experience
grizzly hunt was most effective. such as the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative, the
Transborder Grizzly Bear Project and the Yellowstone to
Yukon Conservation Initiative.
1. Habitat and HumanBear Below we include some examples of more detailed input
Coexistence about a few issues of particular significance.
A large number of people we heard from mentioned the

grizzlys overall role as an ecological barometer and the
A. Insight on Threatened
fact that ensuring good habitat and wellbeing for these Populations
animals would mean not just a more certain future for
We begin with input from one of BCs most experienced
this species but also healthier wider ecosystems. These
grizzly bear researchers, Bruce McLellan, who works for
commenters ranged from simple naturelovers to hunters,
the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource
scientists, forestry professionals and environmental lawyers.
Operations (MFLNRO), as well as with the International
Many of the main concerns they expressed were centred
Union for Conservation of Natures (IUCN) Bear Specialist
around issues that the BC Wildlife Federation and Guide
Group, and often collaborates with other wildlife experts and
Outfitters Association also identified (see next section

initiatives. McLellan sent the Board of Inquiry short reports and service berry in the Stein/Nahatlatch than the South
about the status of grizzly bear populations in two of the Chilcotin and Squamish/Lillooet that are rich in these
regions where we held public input sessions. Both of these highenergy foods.
areas happen to be places where grizzly bear populations
Fragmentation is clearly a major issue in the south coastal
face the most challenges and where the majority of the
mountains, he remarked. Once a contiguous population
provinces threatened population units (where no grizzly
becomes fragmented into smaller, isolated populations then
hunting is permitted) are concentrated.
they become much more vulnerable to things like food
source failures, having a higher proportion of bears exposed
South Coastal Mountains to human settlement, and genetic issues.
Just north and west of Vancouver are the south coastal There are many conservation issue in this area, McLellan said.
mountains and there, grizzly bear conservation appears He gave the following examples of priorities:
to be the most challenging in the province, McLellan
wrote. This is because, in contrast to the interior mountains To recover bears in the North Cascades, augmentation
(Kootenay Region) and adjacent portions of Alberta and with both males and females will be necessary.
Montana, only a small amount of research has been done in Augmentation of females may also be needed for the
the Stein/Nahatlatch, Squamish/Lillooet, and South Chilcotin Garibaldi/Pitt and Stein/Nahatlatch, although more work
Mountains. These projects are ongoing and have provided on the availability of highenergy foods should be done
some encouraging data but also some very discouraging before bears are moved. One female was moved into the
information and have highlighted some difficult management Stein/Nahatlatch. She remained for one year but was not
situations. foraging on highquality foods when she should have been,
and returned to her former range after an entire year in
The grizzly populations in South Chilcotin and parts of the Stein/Nahatlatch.
the Squamish/Lillooet appear to be rapidly increasing
Research and monitoring of highenergy foods in the
The Stein/Nahatlatch, on the other hand, is at a very low Stein/Nahatlatch and Garibaldi/Pitt and to learn how,
density and is still declining. Itappears though, McLellan through fire and logging, to produce some of these foods.
noted, that humancaused mortality is not the most Map areas where wildfire managers should consider a let
significant factor as more bears have died of natural causes burn policy for longterm production of huckleberry and
than were killed by people. Analyses suggest that it isnt other highenergy foods. Potential and currently used
the survival rate either. Instead, it seems that young female salmon fishing areas should be mapped for protection
bears are having their first litters later. This, in addition to the and management.
fact that the spring body mass and reproductive rate of the
collared sample of bears is less in the Stein/Nahatlatch than Education, guidance, and financial assistance to reduce
the South Chilcotin, suggests a bottom up limiting factor, humancaused mortality of bears in settled/fracture areas
namely nutrition, he said. Field work has documented far (Bear Aware and electric fencing).
less high energy foods such as huckleberry, buffalo berry,

Purchase of and legal easements on important properties conservation This number of bears over an area of
(i.e., so as to never subdivide or harvest certain tree 97,413 km2 makes an average density of 20 bears/1000 km2
species) in fracture areas. across the region. Although this density estimate includes
Implement access management in areas of known, areas settled by people where there are no bears the
highquality habitats. density across the entire Kootenay appears higher than
the 15.1 bears/1000 km2 across the Greater Yellowstone
Monitor commercial huckleberry harvest and work to
Ecosystem that is mostly National Park, wilderness or
curtail this practice in areas important for grizzly bears.
roadless areas, he said.
The Kootenay Region Due partially to the level and diversity of human activity
in this region, there has been far more research and
The Kootenay Region of British Columbia is, in many inventory on grizzly bears here than anywhere else in
ways, the most interesting and challenging area for grizzly Canada. At least 60 papers have been published in peer
bear management in all of North America, McLellan reviewed journals with data based fully or partially on these
commented. Not only do about 160,000 people live in Kootenay projects.
the region, but the cities of Calgary and Lethbridge are
close by and the region has a great influx of recreationists Things of note for the region, McLellan explained, include
throughout the year. Associated with all of these people grizzly population trends in three of the governments
are railroads, highways, rural enclaves, cattle ranches, and Grizzly Bear Population Units, which are used in the
orchards. Industrial activities such as forest management management of hunting.
and associated road access occurs over most of the region
The population in the Granby area has increased from
as well as open pit mining in the southeast corner. The around 40 bears in 1998 to almost 100 in 2015.
Columbia River Treaty resulted in numerous large dams
with reservoirs flooding thousands of hectares of rich, The population trend in the southern Flathead drainage,
valley bottom habitat. There are numerous ski resorts, golf where it has been monitored for 38 years, on the other
courses, mountain biking trails, snowmobile areas and cat hand, has seen some ups and downs. From 1979 to around
and heliskiing centres. In addition, the Kootenay region is a 1998 it rose at a fast pace to where it had almost tripled.
destination area for ungulate hunters and grizzly bears are Due to this high density of bears plus a decadelong failure
hunted by both residents and nonresidents over most of of huckleberries (the most important food in the ecosystem
the region; parts of the region (Flathead and South Rockies), that bears relied on to gain fat stores for hibernation and
have by far the highest grizzly bear hunter kill densities reproduction), the reproductive rates of this population
(bears killed/ha/year) in the province. dropped dramatically, mortality rates of adult females
appeared to increase, and the population declined at about
In spite of these varied human impacts, approximately 5% per year until around 2010. The population began to
1,900 grizzly bears, with some of the highest bear increase again since this time, he wrote.
densities, are found in the Kootenay Regionthis region
is a fascinating area to gain insights important for grizzly

Although not as closely monitored, a similar trend of decline are more isolated and the populations are smaller. Some
was measured in the South Rockies population unit that was bear movement into these areas has been documented and
at a very high density in the early 2000s but dropped by some bears have been physically moved into the Yahk.
40% since then Thearea includes a part of the settled
The conservation priorities McLellan listed for the
valley along Highways 3 and 95 that recent research says
Kootenays are:
appears to be an ecological trap to which bears are
attracted but have a much higher mortality rate than further Education, guidance, and financial assistance to reduce
back from the settled area. Grizzly bear collaring efforts are nonhunting humancaused mortality of female bears in
currently underway to understand the causes of mortality in settled areas (Bear Aware and electric fencing) and by
this area, McLellan said. ungulate hunters (clean camps, proper meat poles, electric
fencing, using bear spray instead of rifles).
Food and humancaused mortality are major factors
Implementing already agreed to access management
contributing to population declines, he wrote. Research,
particularly in critical energy food producing areas.
particularly in the Flathead, has highlighted the importance
of the amounts of highenergy foods consumed by grizzly Map areas where wildfire managers should consider a let
bears in the late summer and fall when they deposit fat burn policy for longterm production of huckleberry and
needed for hibernation and reproduction Highenergy buffalo berry.
foods for bears in the Kootenays include huckleberry, Quantifying the actual number of bears killed by vehicles
buffaloberry, whitebark pine seeds, and ungulates and in particular along railways and learning how to reduce
the number of these kills.
Human caused mortality (HCM), particularly nonhunting
HCM that is difficult to quantify (and manage), is a major
issue in areas settled by people (i.e., humanbear conflicts),
but also in areas where ungulate hunting is common.
B. Connectivity of Bear Populations
Unlike kills by hunters licensed to hunt grizzlies, which We also heard from some organizations making stepbystep
are all reported, many humancaused bear mortalities go progress in terms of the significant but not insurmountable
unrecorded, he said. Such mortalities are often spatially challenges from the combined effects of habitat
concentrated and are a major management issue in the fragmentation on grizzly bears, including demographic
Kootenay Region and elsewhere in the province. Recently, and genetic isolation and movement limitations, ongoing
the number of reported road and railroad kills has increased or potential increases in human conflict and direct loss or
and the number that are unreported (animal wanders off and alienation of critical seasonal habitats, especially for females
dies) may be much higher. with cubs.
Population fragmentation is also a concern for some parts The practical effect of these factors is the potential to
of the Kootenays. The Flathead is part of a large population further erode grizzly bear range and distribution and
( 1,000 bears) and is not totally isolated, but the fracture interrupt the natural recovery of some Grizzly Bear
along Highway 3 is worsening. The South Selkirks and Yahk Population Units. Addressing the root causes of the

threatened status of southwest BCs GBPUs will help Those bear populations become disproportionately more
implement the will of residents and First Nations to maintain important in a connectivity context, he explained. Without
grizzly bears regionally and provide a natural barometer of connectivity through keystone areas like BCs Flathead,
the health of wild lands, the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear the Elk Valley, North Americas bear populations may
Initiative told us. eventually just blink out over time, despite it being a vast
landscape, Worthing said.
Mark Worthing of Sierra Club BC summarized it:
I encourage you to cast your gaze a bit wider than some
of the ethical questions, and the moral questions. Totally C. Forestry and Industry Roads
valid questions, but if you cast your gaze a bit higher,
questions like fragmentation, access management, not only The input we received included forestry and environmental
in localized areas, but from the Coast to Cascades law professionals who maintain that the government is failing
connectivity corridor routes, and the Yellowstone to Yukon to regulate the forest industry, forest industry roads, and
scale, it will tell a slightly different story than localized other industrial roads for mining, and oil and gas. As a result,
conflict zones, or localized habitat fragmentation. bears are losing habitat, being blocked from accessing
parts of their landscape and dying in road/rail accidents,
The work by Also, or because these roads increase human access to
organizations focused the wilderness, more grizzlies are being killed either legally,
Without connectivity
on North American through keystone areas illegally or in conflict situations.
connectivity is of vital like BCs Flathead
importance, he said, and the Elk Valley, The elephant in the room is habitat destruction, owing
because the way that North Americas to uncertainty in the review process for the estimation of
the government manages bear populations timber supply, known as the timber supply review that
discrete populations, as may eventually just informs the rate of logging, known as the allowable annual
if bears operate in little blink out over time, cut, which is determined by the Chief Forester, said
vacuums of management despite it being a Anthony Britneff, a forester with decades of experience in
or something does not vast landscape, senior positions with BCs forests ministry. The provincial
adequately address this Mark Worthing said. government causes this uncertainty by using: out of date
important problem. For forest inventories; a computer model to predict natural
example, the grizzlies stand growth, tree growth, that has not been validated and
of the Flathead are a relatively healthy population yet is based on data that were out of date, incorrectly compiled
they also face a disproportionate amount of risks based on: and corrupted; and a computer model used to predict the
a) how important they are to the larger population of grizzly future growth of planted trees that has only recently been
bears, and b) because habitat fragmentation is considerable put through a questionable validation process against
here with mining, logging and development, Crowsnest Pass, tree measurements collected at only one point in time.
and Highway 3.

Worse still, the government does not incorporate the effects said that scientifically we should not allow more density of
of climate change into these growth models, particularly in roads than 0.6kilometres per square kilometre of land, and
the areas of declining forest health. acknowledged that that should be the cap on the number
of roads in that area. Then, they just blew past that cap, they
Forestry roads, he said, arent being deactivated because just ignore that cap and continue to approve logging. The
forestry companies are pushing into wildlife habitat areas, only unroaded areas are the parksright next to them are
and they want to keep pushing into those areas, and logging. areas that are now targeted for logging, and theyre going
Theyre short of timber. Quite frankly, if you were to speak to log the last unfragmented habitat for grizzlies. All of this
to professional foresters who work for industry, they happening within a Wildlife Habitat Area Sandborn said.
will probably tell you that theyre having a lot of trouble
finding the cut, the allocated cut, from the Chief Forester
The timber is not there. D. Coexistence Solutions
The Forest Practices Board is only responsible for the The Board of Inquiry meetings took place in the fall, just
Forest and Range Practices Act, he responded when asked as grizzly bears were getting set to den up. We heard from
by the Board of Inquiry about the Forest Practice Boards several people in the Kootenays that there were a lot of
role. The setting of annual allowable cuts, and the whole grizzlies wandering into towns (around Nelson) and some
cutting policy comes under a different act, which is the were being shot in defence of life and property (in the
Forest Act, and the only organization that can possibly deal Elk Valley), likely because inadequate berry crops and/or
with that is the Auditor General, Britneff explained. possibly kokanee were leaving them desperate. As is
probably already obvious from the body of the report,
Environmentalist Vicky Husband said the Forest Practices
humanbear conflict is a complex issue impacting several
Board does not have laws that they can enforce. They
of BCs most vulnerable bear populations. However, the
cannot uphold good forest practices, because the laws were
province is fortunate to have specialized bear scientists
destroyed when the Campbell government came in 2003,
who work with conservation officers, ranchers, farmers and
and thats what happened, and thats why weve got the
community members on nonlethal management techniques
serious problems we have today in resource management.
for grizzlies. One of these scientists, Gillian Sanders, whose
Calvin Sandborn, legal director at the Environmental Law work focuses on agriculture and preventing agricultural
Centre of the University of Victoria, spoke of and supplied conflicts, attended our Vancouver public meeting where
us with a report the Centre produced that looks at a specific what she said greatly helped our understanding of this very
example in the Granby Valley, where there is a grizzly crucial issue.
population recognized as threatened by the MFLNRO.
[T]here is an actual real social cost to having bears on the
The Province set up protected areas in the Granby Valley, landscape and choosing to have bears on the landscape,
specifically to protect grizzly bears, and protected an specifically grizzly bears Its honestly not fair for small
inadequate amount of that area. Then they setup a Wildlife food producers or somebody who just has a dozen hens
Habitat Area for grizzly bears around those parks, and in their backyard for their familys eggs to bear the social

cost of having those bears on the landscape, and the way fish guts around for two, three seasons with never a firearm
I approach it is doing a fiftyfifty cost share for the price of or even a thought of a firearm, but bear spray. The times
electric fencing equipment. when I have had to use a bear spray I can tell you it works.
The literature is absolutely clear that bear spray works farfar
The answers are simple, but the education, the outreach better than firearms, time and time and time again. A hunter
you cant tell people, especially rural people, how to live on who is out there without a bear spray, I think, basically is
their own private property and to not shoot bears that they crazy because this is just the simple solution that works.
perceive as threatening their family. Working with them and I think that should be mandated.
providing tools and providing incentive when attractants
are secured and bears are not going to get into sheds or
on peoples porches or killing livestock out the front door, E. Connecting People
tolerance for them does grow.
to their Land Base
Sanders and several other researchers, beekeepers and
Speaking at our Vancouver meeting was a research scientist
people with grizzly experience confirmed the efficacy of
working for a First Nation with traditional territory on the
tools and strategies to fend grizzlies off nonlethally and
southern border of the Great Bear Rainforest. With over
keep them from being attracted to humans domains.
20 years experience working with bears, Lana Ciarniello told
Chief among those are electric fencing and bear spray.
us that she was asked to help Homalco Wildlife Tours learn
Ive been a commercial beekeeper for most of my life, more about the grizzly bears they were bringing people
so Ive dealt with bears and electric fences and I want to to view on Bute Inlet. Since the Homalco did not want her
say that they work very well. Ive had to make it in grizzly to use any invasive research techniques, she set up remote
bear habitat, not just black bear habitat, John Bergenske cameras in addition to doing hairsnagging traps for DNA
of Wildsight told us. As far as the agricultural industry, analysis, from which it was discovered there are 52 individual
I think that there is a greater responsibility than is being bears in the area.
taken at present time to protect, whether its honeybees,
Then we ran this through some graphs and you can see
chickens, pigs or whatever, cattle from predation It is a
that, when the visitors leave, the bears started moving
problem to have cattle in the high country We do need
around. So we started to look at, well, what we can do to
to make sure theres a separation and there has been a
make this operation easier on bears. Ciarniello told us about
significant change in terms of grizzly bear movement in the
a viewing platform that the research found is not optimally
valley over the years.
designed or placed (it is too close to the river) and which
Then, there is a factor that I think is absolutely important the company is hoping to redesign and reposition, as well
and this is that hunters learn to use bear spray. I spent a as some worry about how logging debris in the area has
couple years doing field work for Michael [Proctor, a scientist impacted an important salmon spawning river and how
also in attendance] back here, in terms of collecting DNA salmon is so key to the number of cubs mother grizzlies
samples and I was carrying rotten meat, rotten blood and will birth.

However, another very compelling matter that she spoke I feel like the answer is the hub of a wheel and all these
about was how Homalco Wildlife Tours employs 24 Homalco people are opinions and their selfinterest around there
people. These are people who have had some hardships [motions with hands]. I can just see the real possibility,
in the past. When they come in to Orford Bay and act as the potential for each one of those groups compromising
guides, we do a whole training process, she explained. a little bit. The bear viewers giving up a bit, the hunters
Among the things the trainees learn is about ethnobotany giving up a bit, the agriculture community giving up a bit
and how their ancestors used local plants. And you can start and the environmental community giving up a bit. I think
to see people starting to connect with the land base. You that you need to sort through the self interest and I can see
can start to see connections being made, with bears eating everybody being able to work together and compromise
plants that the Homalco people also use, Ciarniello said. at some level I think everybody wants to see grizzly bears
here 1,000 years from now.
You can start to see healing occur within these people.
And that really touched me. Beyond research and now into
employment and connecting to their land base. This isnt just
bears were talking about, its not just fish were talking about 2. Those Unopposed to
and its not just connected to the ecosystem where the bears Grizzly Bear Hunting
are going to go fish; its the people and the whole picture of
how we all fit together. Its really important. The majority of individuals who identified themselves as
Bears in Orford Bay are healing. Theyre healing to the in favour of grizzly bear hunting were guide outfitters and
people, theyre healing to the Homalco Nation, they are their hunters. Amongst hunters were some who said that, though
own being on a much larger scale. They help the eagles, they they did not hunt grizzly bears themselves, they believed
help the trees, and they help us, so thats why I came to talk those who wished to should be free to do so. Some of these
with you today. nongrizzly hunting hunters said that this was because they
feared grizzly bear hunting might represent the thin edge
of the wedge whereby if the hunting of one species is
F. Cooperation disallowed then bans on the hunting of others will follow.
Finally, many people mentioned that the polarized Many hunters expressed the belief that grizzly bears are a
viewpoints regarding grizzly hunting are preventing predator that humans need to manage in order to maintain
cooperation on threats that deserve greater attention. a number of grizzlies that does not end up having social
costs on the local people such as impacting other wildlife
I think almost every speaker has had a grain of truth populations (e.g., moose) used for human protein needs,
through them and I also want to throw in, sort of shooting or compromising the safety of human settlements and
straight here, theyve also had a grain of selfinterest in livelihoods such as livestock.
them, grizzly scientist Michael Proctor, of the Transborder
Grizzly Bear Project, commented at our Cranbrook meeting.

However, many other aspects of the hunt and the future of was prohibited, females and young were protected, and
grizzly bear populations were also discussed by people with by the 1970s, grizzly bear hunting was moving to a lottery
prohunting views. Some of the Board of Inquirys public system. These are all good things; its a direct reflection of
input sessions were attended by representatives from the change in social values and a more sustainable approach to
BC Wildlife Federation who were well versed in these issues. resource management.
We begin with their composite perspective, followed by
input sent by email by the Guide Outfitters Association Grizzly Population Threats
of BC, because these two organizations summarized just
about every topic mentioned by individual commenters Moving grizzly bears onto this brought value to the species,
who were unopposed to grizzly bear hunting, as well as brought social value to them, and changed the publics
various ecological issues that were actually concerns shared perception of grizzly bears The good news is in the last
by those opposed. After these accounts, we include some three decades grizzly bears are being seen in places where
examples of individual hunter/guide/trapper commentary they had been extirpated We have other places where
and then conclude the prohunt section with the only input there hasnt been any grizzly bear hunting where we have
we received from the agricultural industry. declining grizzly bear population management units,
Zeman continued.
A. BC Wildlife Federation The big picture threats to

grizzly bears are habitat
BC is managing its
fragmentation and loss,
History of BCWF and Grizzly Hunt Management forests for maximum
human bear conflict, sustainable yield
BC Wildlife Federation representatives told us nonhunting mortality, of wood, not for
that the federation includes 100 clubs across the hunting mortality in the biodiversity, not for
provincerepresenting over 50,000 hunters, anglers and absence of good inventory, grizzly bears and
conservationistsand traces its roots back to the 1890s. declining abundance in not for huckleberry
The organization has helped in the evolution of grizzly hunt food and stochastic events production, said
which result in food failures, BCWFs Jesse
management, they said.
he explained. Effects Zeman.
In 1950 the bounty system was removed. In the 1960s from highways, railways,
more conservative hunting regulations were brought in and hydro development, road
grizzly bears were classified as a game species, before that densities, wildlife fences all
they were classified as pests. That was a long time ago but result in unsustainably high mortality, genetic isolation and
the BC Wildlife Federation was one of the organizations in some grizzly bear populations it has resulted in localized
that led the charge to put hunting regulations on the grizzly extirpation. So we have wiped out grizzly bears in areas.
bears because they were concerned that grizzly bears were
disappearing, said Jesse Zeman. Shortly thereafter baiting

On food supply, there are two main food supplies for You need a framework to deal with this, especially in years
grizzly bears. Its either berries or salmon or both. Both of where we have these stochastic events where the food
those sources are at risk. In the interior grizzly bears rely source for bears fail.
on berries, principally huckleberries. Huckleberries rely on
Landscape management is a huge problem, all BCWF
an open forest canopy. Open forest canopies are created
representatives told us. Bears require large tracts of
by fire. Weve been putting fire out for the last 60 years or
undisturbed habitat but road density particularly in the
more in British Columbia. That food supply is being put at
northeast of BC and the southeast of BC when input
risk and weve seen berry crop failures in southeastern BC
into the cumulative effects assessment model, BC is in
and in the interior in the last two decades where grizzly bear
the red, Zeman stressed.
productivity goes down, population estimates decrease.
Grizzly bears have a threshold that they can tolerate for
Other species in the province which are suffering include
road densities and were not managing to that road density.
moose, elk, we have listed species like Lewis woodpecker,
We are managing well above it. The incentives to resource
sheep and deer which all evolve around fire maintained
extraction do not include reducing road densities. The
ecosystems. All these species suffer when we put fires out.
incentives for forestry is to increase the number of roads,
So it isnt just about grizzly bears, its about the way we
the budget for building roads is there, there is no budget for
manage the landscape
reusing old roads and there is no budget to decommission
On the fish side we have salmon and kokanee. The story this roads, he said.
year [2016] has been about the record low return of sockeye
Connectivity is becoming an increasingly big issue in places
in the Fraser River. The Fraser River has not just been
like the Kootenay region and the Okanagan valley There
suffering from slow sockeye return. The Fraser River, interior
is a huge problem where wildlife such as elk have stopped
Coho have been on the verge of life support since the mid
migrating into the back country. This is becoming a North
90s. They have not recovered, we have not done anything to
Americawide phenomenon. Life is a lot easier closer to
change the trend. Chinook are generally in decline as well,
people to avoid predators, said Zeman. Peoples response,
Zeman said.
naturally, is to build fences to keep elk and ungulates off
West Kootenay bear conflict is going to go through the their property. The long term for that is youre going to have
roof this year. The Kootenay Lake kokanee fishery has a valley very similar to the Okanagan where there will be no
failed and thus only 40,000 of the normal 3/4 million fish corridors from one side of the valley to the other.
were expected to return to rivers there, he said. And thats
optimistic. What that means is the bears that normally fed on Conservation Funding
kokanee in the river are going to turn to peoples properties
and houses to look for a meal. The conflicts going to go Gerry Paille, BCWF regional president of region 7b (Peace),
up. Weve been getting a number of calls about human explained that these problems stem from the fact that
bear conflict and also licensed and unlicensed bear viewing the number of biologists employed by government has a
putting additional pressure on grizzly bears. line that looks like this [hand motions down angle] and in

the private sector in British Columbia the line is going like discuss in section 2C of this report. The Foundation then
this [motioned up], totally opposing. The government is redistributes this money in the form of grants used to fund
shifting responsibility for a lot of oversight from government conservation work across the province, he explained.
to resource users and we dont see that as a good thing.
In 2014, the government collected $14 million from
Mount Polley is a good example and Im sure it is impacting
hunters, the majority of which went into the Provinces
our wildlife as well.
general revenue (for use on any government program or
Thus a priority issue for grizzly bear management and policy service) Snyder told us, and only the portion coming from
in BC, the BCWF argues, is the need to increase dedicated species licence surcharges ($2.7 million) was directed to the
funding for all natural resource management. Despite being HCTF. To date, more than $155 million has been invested
one of the most biologically complex regions in North in fish and wildlife through the HCTF fund. Over the past
America, BC is consistently one of the lowest funded fish, 5 years, this fund has paid nearly $1 million directly for
wildlife and habitat management jurisdictions, we were told grizzly bear research.
by Mark Hall, vice president of the East Kootenay Wildlife
Zeman listed examples: The themes for BC being funded
Association and a member of BCWFs board of directors.
through hunter dollars are population monitoring, food
For example, he said, BC had no dedicated annual budget
monitoring through huckleberry analysis and prediction,
for grizzly bear management or research in the province.
habitat selection, and also managing human bear conflict.
In comparison, Yellowstone, which is 90% smaller than
BC, has an annual budget for grizzly bear management of Most of the grizzly bear research is managed through
$3.2 million and over $800,000 for grizzly bear research the BC Conservation Foundation and its WildSafe BC
and monitoring. community program, Hall said. The BC Conservation
Foundation was formed by the BC Wildlife Federation.
All BCWF representatives and many hunters stressed the
Without the HCTF and the BC Wildlife Federation,
financial contribution of hunters to wildlife management.
British Columbia would be decades behind North America
A BCWF representative said that in 1981 there was
in grizzly bear management.
economic downturn, government budgets were slashed.
The BC Wildlife Federation asked for an additional tax on its
licenses so that that money can be contributed to wildlife New Funding Model
management, said Dustin Snyder, Vice President of Prince
Hall said that both organizations he represented, BCWF and
Georges Spruce City Wildlife Association and a Director of
East Kootenay Wildlife Association, are advocating for a new
the BC Wildlife Federation
funding model in British Columbia by which the following
The resulting surcharges have since gone into a fund would go directly to wildlife conservation:
managed by an organization set up for that purpose called All hunting licence and authorization revenues (this would
the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), as we be an increase of about $1213 million a year to wildlife
management, he noted.)

A portion of the natural resource royalties and rent on By focusing on hunting, I think weve missed the real
the public land. conversation about grizzly bears and their future: The long
Surcharges from ecotours and outdoor recreational users. term viability needs a new approach to funding natural
resource management and land use planning, said Snyder.
Were talking about just diverting money from users of the
land so that our wildlife budgets will increase from $10s of BCWF on Bear Viewing
millions $100s of millions in this province, he said.
BCWF representatives indicated that they believe bear
Sciencebased Management and Politics viewing can coexist with hunting to some degree (some
regions not wellsuited for viewing) as economic diversity
The BCWF believes that the success of wildlife conservation is what keeps BC stable and prosperous. However, we
in North America is founded on the tenet of using science in were told that they think the bear viewing industry
wildlife management and representatives told us they believe should be managed through regulation and policy so
that hunting is part of management. Further, the term that grizzly bear conservation is the priority, not revenue,
trophy hunt is polarizing and inaccurate we were told, as and so as to support small businesses operations as the
the BC Wildlife Federation supports the retention of grizzly guide outfitting industry does, they maintained, and to
bear meat, and its our premise that it is an edible game prevent megamultinational corporations taking control
species, said Paille. In British Columbia our grizzly bears of amalgamated tenures. Bear viewing should also
have been studied probably as well or better than most contribute revenue to the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund,
jurisdictions and we are fortunate that our government has they stressed.
some of the best grizzly bear ecologists in the world working
for them, he said.
B. Guide Outfitters Association of BC
Debate about whether the government science can be
trusted needs to end, Hall said, as it is not going to benefit The Board of Inquiry received a submission from the
grizzly bears or British Columbians. We need to become a Guide Outfitters Association of BC (GOABC), a nonprofit
culture, socially and politically, that trusts our scientists. established in 1966 to represent the guide outfitting industry,
as well as input from a number of individual members of
On the topic of politics in grizzly bear hunting and the association.
responding to comments made by people who spoke before
him at the Vancouver meeting, Zeman said: We dont pay The Association told us that the provincial governments
politicians; were a nonprofit charitable organization so we conclusions, based on its prescribed procedure for
are a lobbyist group in one sense; we meet with ministers estimating the grizzly bear population are generally
but we do not pay for campaigns, we organize campaigns, supported by the experiences of GOABC members,
so just to make that clear to you all. the majority of whom live and work in close proximity
to populations of grizzly bears. They perceive grizzly

populations as increasing, based primarily on the frequency Research shows that habitat loss and its cumulative
of grizzly bear sightings, and humangrizzly encounters, effects are currently the greatest threats to BCs grizzly
often experienced firsthand. bear populations. Grizzly bears have been extirpated from
11% of their historical range in BC, which corresponds with
The grizzly bear hunt poses no conservation threat to concentrations of private land, high road densities, and
populations, especially considering that it is heavily biased human population centres.
towards mature males. An overabundance of older male
bears can be a limiting factor for bear populations, as We recommend that the Province place a higher priority
older males are known to prey on juvenile bears, and cubs. on grizzly bears and their habitats. This requires that future
It is important to note that it is illegal in British Columbia resource development must be sustainable and that industry,
to harvest any bear under the age of 2 years old, or any too, must place greater value on wildlife and their habitats.
bear in the presence of a bear under this age Indeed, and
more generally, BCs bear management guidelines are very The Ethics/Values Debate
restrictive; and any area where a harvest of grizzlies might
not be sustainable has been closed to hunting; a policy fully GOABC appreciates that many people, especially those
endorsed by GOABC. living in urban areas, have never been exposed to the
vital role hunting plays in effective wildlife management
It is also important to note that legal hunting is not only Society is a complex amalgam of many points of view,
a nondetrimental influence on wildlife population health and in any discussion of ethics, there will always be the
and sustainability but that it can and does act positively question of whose values are right and whose values are
to enhance wildlife conservation. The IUCN [International most important.
Union for the Conservation of Nature] states that the
sustainable use of wildlife is an important conservation tool While societal values are certainly relevant, care must
for wildlife species because the social and economic benefits be taken to ensure that debates about grizzly bear
derived from such use provide incentives for people to management are pursued on a course of knowledge.
conserve them. GOABC believes the most independent and reliable
knowledge comes from wildlife science, and the experiences
GOABC recognizes that threats to the grizzly bear and observations of those who live and work in close
populations of British Columbia do exist, but emphasizes proximity to the bears. Those who live nearest wildlife,
that our sciencebased, regulated harvest should not be especially large predators, are often best equipped to
counted among these. Indeed, we believe British Columbia aid in practical decisionmaking processes involving
is providing, through its multipleuse approach of regulated wildlife management. Thus we fully support inclusion of
harvest, closed areas and bearviewing policy frameworks, traditional and experiential knowledge in wildlife policy
a strong example of how to coexist with, sustainably utilize, development frameworks.
manage and conserve its grizzly bear populations.

Economics C. Individual guide outfitters,
In addition to licence revenue that goes to government and hunters and trappers
the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the GOABC
The input we received from individual guide outfitters and
said: It is estimated that nonresident grizzly bear hunters
hunters added some regional and personal perspectives
generate additional revenue of between $1.32 and $2.75
and more detailed concerns to the information provided by
million annually. These financial contributions, even without
BCWF and GOABC. Here are some examples of recurring
considering economic multipliers, are significant, not just
themes mentioned by a large portion of hunters and
in terms of British Columbias economy generally, but also
guide outfitters.
in terms of actual dollars available for wildlife and natural
resource conservation. As we are all aware, conservation
is an expensive business and governments everywhere are Population Estimates
pressed to allocate sufficient resources to its purpose.
Darwin Cary, a long time guide outfitter located in
MuskwaKechika, said the northern bear population
GOABC on Bear Viewing is very very healthy at the detriment of all the ungulates:
moose populations are in trouble due to predation on calves
Over the last twenty years, British Columbias wildlife
and grizzlies playing a large role. In his region, grizzly
viewing industry has experienced significant growth while
hunting creates local employment, he said.
the guide and outfitting industry has been operating
businesses sustainably in British Columbias backcountry Towards the northeast, BCWF representative Paille said,
for over one hundred years. GOABC therefore appreciates there is a very conservative estimate of 2,100 grizzly
that grizzly bear viewing is also a contributor to British bears up here, I dont think anybody believes there are that
Columbias economy, and, in certain areas of the province few grizzly bears up here. That is, he believed, because
can represent a sustainable enterprise in support of local the models, how government makes estimations on
economies and human livelihoods Furthermore, these are populations, are based a lot on vegetation and that does
only two of the many business activities that operate on not work in our part of the province. He said that it
Crown land. There are numerous instances where various would be nice to have more science, but there are no crisis
land access and tenure operations must find a way to share situations like there may be in a some other parts of the
Crown land and cooperate with one another within their land province and government Fish and Wildlife in the northeast
allocation allotments. is understaffed.
Guide outfitting and wildlife viewing have successfully Two young brothers, Page and Daniel Norton, told us
coexisted for at least two decades in British Columbia and that because they want to remain in the small town in the
can continue to do so in the case of all species, including McBride area where they grew up, they decided to enter
grizzly bears. Any perceived conflict between bear viewing the guide outfitting field as they feel it is one of the only
and bear hunting can be addressed through constructive job opportunities available in the area, due to the decline of
dialogue and policy application.

logging work. Every year we see more and more of them Hunting is the only management tool other than
[grizzlies], a healthier population. Its a great thing, I think, uncontrolled killing If you dont have a managed hunting
said Page. By no means do I want to see less grizzly bears, season, bears will die unmanaged because people just shoot
I just think the concern that theres a lack of them, maybe in them, whether thats 2%, 4%, 6%, 10%, 50% or 100%, people
certain areas thats true, but for the Robson Valley and the eliminate bears like they have in Vancouver, like they have in
areas Ive seen, weve got a very healthy population. Victoria, Beranek said.
Daniel told us he saw this in other regions too, as he said

he also works as an onsite wildlife monitor contracted by Ungulate Populations
resource companies to protect and educate their staff and The introduction of these two big predators, the wolf
monitor and mitigate potential humanwildlife conflict. He combined with a rising population of grizzly bears in the
told us that though this field requires training, such monitors last 50 years, said hunter Rod Guimont, has contributed to
will, in serious situations, still need to contact Conservation a decrease in our ungulate population in the Kootenays
Officers if unable to deter a bear. He gave an example of a Were part of the predation issue, theres no question. Thats
grizzly who swam out to a float camp and would not move all part of it, but it has to be managed we had thousands of
off despite his use of acoustical deterrents. However, by the animals and we dont have them anymore. Im not blaming
time the CO arrived, the grizzly had moved on. the grizzly bear, but if you want to let things go as they may
Trapper Frank Rad told us I think our grizzly bear and not have proper management then were all in trouble
population in the East Kootenays has expanded and whats and theyre in trouble.
happening now is we have these juvenile bears, young I would encourage the view of hunting as a tool for
sows, that are looking for habitat and thus getting into wildlife management, because there is of course the
humanbear conflict, he said. Right now, I believe theyre predator/prey dynamic, where you see both interact with
underharvested. each other, and hunting can be used as a tool to help
balance that, said Alexander Lee, a young hunter/student,
Social Carrying Capacity at our Victoria meeting. I dislike looking at wildlife like this,
or the ecosystem, as something that man has to manage,
Bears need to be managed within the social carrying but in reality, because of our impact on nature, because we
capacity of the province. History shows in wildlife want houses to live in in the cities, we want roads We have
management in the history of North America, if wildlife to say: This is how much prey we have, this is how many
loses its social value, we exterminate themwhether predators we have, and we have to balance that some way.
its the buffalo, whether its the antelope, whether its Hunting isnt the only tool, but I would encourage you to look
elk. Hunters would love 200,000 elk in the Kootenays. at it as a tool towards wildlife management.
Farmers want zero. So we need to manage them within
the carrying capacity. Grizzly bears are no different, said
David Beranek, a GOABC representative who attended our
Cranbrook meeting.

Ungulate HunterBear Conflict Trapper Don Wilkins said that he works with a handgun
because with his beaver traps hed be working in close and
Several guide outfitters and hunters talked about a growing a startled bear is going to react before I could probably
number of incidences where hunters are confronted by even take the lid off the bear spray. He said he has never
bears over hunter kills. Trapper Frank Rad said With this had a problem and hopes he never will but that he has heard
expanded population, what Im finding [is that] these bears from others who have used bear spray that the bear just
have changed in my lifetime. Theyve learned when theres went, oop, all right and then came again.
a gunshot in the woods, these bears know theres dinner.
Theyre coming to that kill because they know theres an elk When we asked trapper Frank Rad, who is also a trapping
on the ground, theres a deer on the ground and the hunters instructor, whether he teaches the use of bear spray, he
cannot turn their back on it. They have to load their gun responded that he has never encouraged guys to carry
completely One of these days, trappers are going to get bear spray because generally most of the guys are working
hurt, theyre going to get killed because these bears, youve diligently at the permits to carry side arms. Also, we have
got to be so careful. to dispatch the animals, so were carrying firearms anyway
Bear spray isnt something I teach to carry in my course.
The biggest issue is when we do get an animal, we get
an elk or something like that, we have to watch our back,
Guides and Hunters on Bear Viewing
said hunter James Demchuk at the Cranbrook meeting.
A bear comes in, they want the kill just as bad as we do. Several guide outfitters agreed with the GOABCs belief
Theyre bigger, theyre more powerful, theyre going to hurt that hunting and bear viewing need not be exclusive of one
us. What are we going to do? Were going to shoot them. another: We hunt in May and the first part of June. In the
Thats protection. Yes, you heard a lot of talk about using Kootenays, if you want to bear view, you do it in August and
bear spray. Very effective, but if I have the rifle in my hand, September when therere bears sitting in the berry patches,
Im not reaching for bear spray. Just this last week, I was explained David Beranek. We dont even see each other
lucky enough to harvest an elk We were lucky enough that on the landscape. Our industrys not trying to stop the
we didnt have that problem Last year, there was a very bear viewing.
high number of people who were attacked by bears, from
September first right until the end of November and very Others dont feel it is a viable possibility in their territories.
much due to the lack of the berries and then knowing that Darwin Cary said there is no bear viewing in his northern
when you harvest an animal theres a food source for them. neighbourhood as the bears are more dispersed. I mean
hell, we can hardly find one when were hunting them.
Bear Spray Another explained it was dangerous and difficult in his

territory in the Robson Valley area. Where I guide, I would
On the topic of bear spray, the Board of Inquiry asked almost
absolutely not take somebody to view a grizzly bear in
every hunter and trapper who attended the public sessions
that area, Page Norton said. I look at salmon streams on
whether they used it and the large majority said they were
the coast, where they can be viewed from a safe distance,
more prone to use or trust their guns.

theres a food source, where theres a great deal of bears you can really make a lot of friendsranchers and farmers
that are happy and content Its a much different dynamic Hunting is quite growing, I find, in the north portion of
than you see on the coast as far as how the grizzly bears live Vancouver Island. Its selectively harvested, organic, free
here. We can find grizzly bear on the salmon stream, but you range meat I also make my own wine, and grow a lot of
might hike all day to see one Its not like you can sit there my own food in my garden. And its just one of those things
and watch 15 grizzly bears feed sidebyside. away from globalization, away from outsourcing, that is part
of that. I hunt pretty much all species, legal, through the
Further, Norton expressed concern that, being unused to required methods.
coexisting with humans, bears in his area would flee people
coming to view then, which would likely displace them from
prime food sources such as on avalanche slides: thats D. Kootenay Livestock Association
what theyre surviving on. By pushing them off, theyre going
to go somewhere where its a secondary food source, those Though we had input from only one organization from the
cubs are going to have less chance of surviving and likely agricultural industry, and the Board of Inquiry intends to
be pushed into an area where theres a boar and they might solicit information from more, Faye Street, a representative
be killed. of the Kootenay Livestock Association offered an
important perspective.
Heritage and Sustenance Our industry has a huge capital investment in order to
produce food. We are the food producers of this province
Coming to this tonight, I gained some empathy for some of
Youve heard tonight about a lot of humanbear conflict, well
the people who have been at the heart of the bear watching
I want to talk about beardomestic critters, cows, horses,
industry, said hunter Stu Rhodes at our Victoria public
pigs, chickens, human conflict because when they come
meeting. I challenge the rest of you to have some empathy
onto our private properties and destroy our properties and
for those people who have grown up in a culture and a
destroy our domestic animals, which is how we pay the bills
heritage of hunting in British Columbia. Its been a heritage
for our capital investment. They must be kept in a common
in my family for many generations. We hunt, we put meat
sense level where theyre socially acceptable, where there
on the table, we tan hides, we use the animals to their fullest
is enough food for them. Theres no point in having these
extent. Its part of how we live, its part of how we work,
grizzly bears by the multimillions out there dying of
its how we are For me to lose the opportunity to pursue
starvation and getting into peoples properties, Street said.
a species thats traditionally been available to people in BC
because of another fresh special interest group just doesnt My industry has a huge problem. We are finding now that,
seem fair to me. in the last three to five years, we have far more grizzly bears
down in the valley bottoms where we have our operations,
Hunting is prehistoric, its a cultural practice in pretty much
far more. I hear constantly about bears getting into the
all cultures, and especially predator hunting. Its often a
calving grounds in the spring and killing off baby calves.
rite of passage in many cultures. Its also a piece of wildlife
I hear more and more every day about bears slaughtering
management, remarked Mike Breck. Hunting predators

cows out on the Crown ranges. That tells me theres too I would never want to see all the grizzly bears in this
many bears or, as some of the people here tonight have said, province be eliminated. In order to make sure that doesnt
theyve lost their fear of humans and I agree that is huge. happen, lets all use common sense and keep everything at
A healthy bear needs to be afraid of humans. a level that we can all live with.
A grizzly bear can smell afterbirth from a cow for ten

miles. Thats the worst predation problem we have is in the
spring, but also in the fall, when, as youve heard tonight 3. Those Opposed to
from some other people, theyre looking to fill up before Grizzly Hunting
they go in [to their dens]. The calves are bigger then, so its
not quite such a problem, but especially in some of the high At our public sessions, other meetings, and by email the
mountain valleys where the cattle are out on range until early Board of Inquiry received input from a broad variety of
fall. I know my husband and I, a couple of years, ago lost individuals and organizations who voiced their desire to see
There were five grizzlies on one cow. Brought her down an end to grizzly bear hunting in BC. The reasons for this
and consumed her very quickly. Its spring and fall when the opposition reflected a range of ethical values and practical
biggest problems are and especially in a year when theres concerns and, in a large number of cases, a combination
not enough berries, then they look for something else of values and specific concerns. Amongst organizations
Thats where were having the most problems, in the low were animal welfare nonprofits such as the Association for
country and the high country. the Protection of FurBearing Animals (The FurBearers),
We do have compensation now, its a program we fought Justice for BC Grizzlies and the Wildlife Defence League
for, but its very little and its difficult because you have to as well as environmental/conservation focused groups like
be able to prove the kill, Street explained in response to a the North Columbia Environmental Society, BC Nature and
question from the Board. My husband and I, for example, Arrowsmith Naturalists.
used to run out cattle over 20,000 acres. How the hell are Here we outline the widest held reasons people said they
we going to find that carcass and keep it until we can verify objected to the hunting of grizzlies, as well as some of their
that kill by either picture or having the CO [Conservation common concerns.
Officer] come out to verify it? Very, very difficult. So
probably the compensation that we get is, I would say, less
than 5% of the kills, said Street. A. Ethical arguments
I fully support the guide outfitting industry simply because A small portion of the public input we received was focused
theyre like us. They have a huge capital investment involved on animal rights stemming from the viewpoint that all
and they put a lot of money into the coffers of this province animals are creatures whose lives should be valued, and thus
and so they need those animals where they need them and their right to life respected.
we dont want them where our cattle are.

Some people expressed views of grizzly bears as an animal Interrelated with the compassion topic was a worry
with characteristics (particularly sentience and cognitive expressed by several that hunting grizzly bears perpetuates
complexity) that they believe should compel us as a society human behaviour that is, in the words of a written
to cultivate a more compassionate attitudes towards the submission from Jefferson Bray, part of a continuum of
welfare of these animals. abusei.e., a negative force in the world. That while
hunting for subsistence is a natural behaviour throughout
A number expressed the belief that compassion is something ecological systems, sport hunting to obtain a feeling of
that wildlife management in general should be evolving to empowerment or pleasure is not something that can be
include: Violence towards nonhuman animals is systemic in rationalized with sciencekill em for kicks is an example
our society and, by opposing it here, we are taking a stand of the type of terms used by many commenters to describe
against it everywhere it manifests. Instead, we can usher in their perception of the motivations of grizzly bear hunters.
a new era in our governments policy towards grizzlies and
other wildlife that comes from a place of compassion, said Many said they felt the language used is intentionally
Jordan Reichert. obfuscating such issues and thus perpetuates a sort of
societal selfdenial. I get so sick of hearing about sustainable
numbers when referring to our iconic grizzly bears. These
bears are not inventory. There is no Walmart in the woods.
Vancouver public session attendee Michael
We are not talking about teddy bears on shelves being
Cassidy, to highlight his belief that the widespread
bought for target practice. The bears who are hunted for
view of wildlife as resources needs to be
trophies are sentient beings, ecological warriors who have
rethought, quoted naturalist/author Henry Beston:
a right to live as contented within the wild places of this
We patronize them for their incompleteness,
province, said Marianne Lawrenson.
for their tragic fate of having taken form so far
below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly Ronda Murdock told us: it is a kill not a harvest as hunters
err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. and government like to frame it. This is not agriculture, this
In a world older and more complete than ours is a slaughter of a magnificent animal that the government
they move finished and complete, gifted with
uses in advertising Super, Natural British Columbia and
extensions of the senses we have lost or never
yet they hide the fact that they approve of the slaughter.
attained, living by voices we shall never hear.
Indeed, a large number of commenters felt that the Super,
They are not brethren, they are not underlings;
they are other nations, caught with ourselves in Natural BC advertising campaign developed by Destination
the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the BC, the Provinces Crown corporation dedicated to tourism
splendour and travail of the earth. marketing, and its use of a grizzly bear in its natural habitat
were misleading to tourists.
Val Murray of Justice for BC Grizzlies told us that she wrote

to Destination BC asking: Dont you think that this is a
conflict here, to be advertising these incredible bears and

then having people killing them at the same time? She Grizzlies face so many challenges: lack of forage and
said that in a response letter, the Manager of Corporate salmon, fragmented habitat and endless human ingress
Communications told her that Destination BC capitalizes on said Jacklyn Hohmann. Theyre not overpopulated; neither
the impact of grizzlies that creates that strong emotional are they an invasive species; rather they are an indigenous
connection to nature that gives potential visitors a sense of species that had been here for eons before us and who are
urgency to experience it. now struggling to survive in this rapidly changing world
Numerous meeting attendees expressed the view that

B. Ecological Concerns continuing to hunt grizzly bears in the absence of certainty
about the size of grizzly populations and the quality of
about Grizzly Hunting their habitats was irresponsible at a time when the Earth
Concerns about the ecological impacts of grizzly bear is considered to be experiencing a major, some argue
hunting were also very commonly voiced. Some examples: mass, extinction event due to human impacts, and when
megafauna such as the grizzly are known to play a key role
Wildlife managers ignore the laws of nature. In nature, in ecosystem function.
animals take the weak and sick, but hunters take the large
and strong, disrupting the natural healthy predatorprey Several people also felt BC has a special ethical
dynamics, Murdock wrote, adding: American author, responsibility: to sustain its grizzly bears on as wide a
philosopher, scientist, ecologist, forester, conservationist, range of their previous distribution as is possible. The bear
and environmentalist Aldo Leopold said: A thing is right is iconic animal on a world scale and we are responsible to
when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty the rest of the world to maintain it in a suitable environment,
of the biotic community; it is wrong when it Ken Farquharson told us.
tends otherwise.
Over the fifteen years since the moratorium [on grizzly
bear hunting] has been overturned by Premier Campbells
government, we have lost about 5,000 grizzly bears on our
Hunters unopposed to grizzly hunting who landscape. That was just fifteen years ago. Those bears can
say they care about wildlife conservation fail live up to 25 years. Theres at least 1,200 of those bears that
to recognize the paradox therein, said Chris were female, some fertile, and some mothers with tiny cubs,
Dagenais. Namely, that if you argue for hunting as said Barbara Murray.
a sustainable mode of sustenance, but still include
a biodiversityensuring giant like the grizzly bear
in your crosshairs, you actually undermine the
very sustenance for which you advocate.

C. Political Problems grizzly, that restricts human presence, be it road closures,
reduced hunting opportunity or restrictive logging practices
Many of the people who identified as opposing BCs grizzly and an expansion of park boundaries, he wrote.
bear hunt expressed concern and frustration about how
they see politics as skewed in favour of a minority and Numerous people expressed a view that the government
unrepresentative of wider public sentiment on the issue. should not continue the grizzly bear hunt in the face of not
Some expressed respect for government scientists but only the opposition of many scientists but polls indicating
qualified it as not applying to bureaucrats. Indeed, various that a large majority of BCs citizens oppose trophy hunting.
people gave anecdotes they felt indicate that political The only thing I really want to add to the trophy hunting
motives are leading to biased policies or management conversation is that one of the reasons why it gets people
decisions, or to poor enforcement. fired up and probably the biggest frustration I see is that
Hohmann said: Our government tells us that the hunt its such a slap in the face of democracy, said Lesley Fox,
is carefully managed and that they are ensuring the executive director of the FurBearers. Soethics aside
continued existence of grizzly bears but the truth is that and whether we eat the meat, whether its a livelihood,
they are handinhand with the BC Wildlife Federation whether their numbers are sustainableat the end of the
and the Guide Outfitters Association of BC, both of which day thats all irrelevant. If weve elected a government that is
make political contributions to elected officials to ensure supposed to represent the people, when you have 91% of the
for their own interest that the status quo trophy hunting public saying we dont want this Our democracy and our
remains unchanged. government isnt listening to the people.
Barry Brandow Sr., a guide outfitter from the West Kootenay Other commenters alleged the government was guilty of
region, in business for over 30 years, recounted his belief various other things ranging from disinterest to inaction and
that wildlife managers are relentlessly pressured by their even colonialism in the Great Bear Rainforest.
political masters to create hunting opportunity and that Under tribal law, the Wuikinuxv, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk,
can only happen when wildlife population inventory tactics Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nations, the alliance of Haida,
are used that have no connection to reality. He said he Gitgaat, Metlakatla, and others, have banned the hunt in their
saw a disconnect between what he observed (in terms of territories Its under a lot of duress that the BC government
declines in black bear and mule deer population) with the continues to operate the hunt in their territories. For the
public positions taken and decisions made by government BC government to undermine this law is basically for them
staff with regards to hunting those two species. Most to exert a deeply problematic act of colonialism, perpetuate
of the stakeholders that recreate on our mountains systemic racism, and compromise truth and reconciliation.
and harvest/extract resources have a long history of I dont think thats mincing words at all.
championing their own interests and with few exceptions
will not abide responsible management that speaks for the

D. Economic Considerations E. Bear Viewing Industry
Some people at our hearings expressed frustration as to why Via written comments as well as at our public meetings, we
the Province wasnt facilitating a switch from hunting to bear heard from a number of people involved in the bear viewing
viewing, since they believed the economic benefit of hunting industry. They spoke not only of the economic potential but
to be much less significant and sustainable. Many mentioned of their view that grizzly bear hunting was not something
how a bear could be shot with a camera an infinite number that could be conducted in concert with viewing in a way
of times. Widely cited was a 2014 studyThe Economic that was not detrimental to bear wellbeing. They also talked
Impact of Bear Viewing and Bear Hunting in the Great about their work to ensure bears are not adversely impacted
Bear Rainforest of British Columbiaby the Stanford by bear viewing.
Universityaffiliated Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)
The CBVAs MacRae said there are a total of 60 different
that showed how much more money is generated by grizzly
operators who view bears in British Columbia, including a
bear viewing than by hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest.
few in the interior of the province. Where the 2014 CREST
The cost of managing the hunt was also mentioned by
report found that bear viewing in the Great Bear Rainforest
various, with a couple echoing what Katherine MacRae
in 2014 had a total economic value of $15 million (including
of the Commercial Bear Viewing Association (CBVA):
all spending by bear viewing clients), she said that in 2016
One BC government wildlife biologist told authors of the
the CBVA did an audit with 16 operators and found that bear
CREST report that we spend an inordinate amount of time
viewing brought a total of $13 million in direct bear viewing
and resources on grizzly bear management and regulations
revenue, not including other spending. To date, hunting
compared with other species in the province because it
numbers from the guide outfitters and from BC Wildlife have
is a politically charged hunt I would say for sure that its
not been given to us so we have not been able to do a
a net loss
comparative study.
Vicky Husband spoke of a recent trip to Africa, where she
She also argued that while studies show that managing the
learned that in Botswana, they protect 30% of their land
grizzly hunt is expensive for the BC government, commercial
base. In Zimbabwe they protected 26.6%. Theyre really
grizzly bear viewing is almost entirely self regulated
focused on protecting the wildlife, and they started with
through the CBVA.
hunting big game hunting, but theyve moved into tourism.
When we look at Canada, we protected 9.4% of our land Grizzly viewing is now at or close to capacity in the province,
base in Canada, and BC has protected about 15.3%, I just and its expansion is constrained by the hunting of grizzly
looked at the most recent numbers. In Botswana, 45% of bears, the MacRae said. Hunting hurts viewing, she said,
the jobs in northern Botswana are tourism based. If less citing a comparative study on wolves in the United States
economically advanced countries can make such a transition, that found that hunted populations will not allow for viewing
she said, so can BC. to increase, whereas when those populations arent hunted,
the viewing populations, and the viewing opportunities
skyrocketed.

Further, the CBVA has put together protocols for sustainable A Provincial wildlife manager from up north recently told me
viewing, whereby humans and grizzly bears can be in that bear viewing and bear trophy hunting are compatible.
the same vicinity, with a neutral impact on the bears, This is simply not true. My guests do not believe this is true
she said. Thus hunting and viewing cannot coexist, she said, and will not accept that. Just ask the guests that were with
because bears who are viewed have learned to see humans me on the day we caught the poachers, said Boyum.
as nonthreatening and are easily hunted. Bears that are
The Board of Inquiry also received input from Julius Strauss,
viewed will then be killed, because they are not scared,
the owner of Grizzly Bear Ranch, who said his bear viewing
and they are not running away.
operations have been directly impacted by a hunting season
Citing 2006 research that found that one third of tourists extension. The government made the decision to extend
who engaged in bear viewing would not have come to the spring hunt in West Kootenay Area D by 10 days while
British Columbia if there were no bears to view, MacRae Grizzly Bear Ranch, an important local stakeholder, was not
said the province was missing an opportunity: Grizzly bear consulted and has suffered as a result. This hunting extension
viewing is a key driver for ecotourism in BC and, with bear came despite a petition from local residents opposing
viewing at capacity in the province and little room to expand, such a move. The petition was signed by several hundred
the province is likely to lose millions of dollars in revenue. residents of Area D.
Indeed, numerous people working in, or who were Grizzly Bear Ranch tried to continue to view bears in Spring
supporters of, the bearviewing industry mentioned how 2015 but two unfortunate incidents involving the interaction
common it is for tourists to be shocked and dismayed to of guests/guides and grizzly trophy hunters underlined the
learn of the grizzly bear hunt. One example of this input: fact that the hunting and viewing of grizzly bears in the
same area at the same time is not compatible.
While it is true that my business is growing right now,
I do fear there may be a backlash against my business and This left the business forced to cancel its spring bear
against other tourism in BC No matter where they are viewing season for 2016 and as a result it suffered a direct
from, the majority of our guests are in disbelief when they loss of $60,000. This move has pushed Grizzly Bear Ranch
learn that the trophy hunting of our bears is allowed in into the red, threatening the demise of the entire operation,
the majority of our parks and protected areas, wrote Eric which brings in $400,000 a year in direct revenues and
Boyum. In 2009, during one of our tours into a BC park, employs 10 people. This loss, Strauss said, would also
I caught a legal BC resident hunter, illegally setting a bait impact businesses in the nearby towns in an economically
trap for a grizzly bear kill. I confronted him, reported it to depressed area of the West Kootenays.
authorities, and two years later he was convicted, he told us.
While recognising that the present laws permit grizzly
My guests were shocked and horrified, as this hunter had
hunting in BC, Grizzly Bear Ranch is specifically requesting
planned to poach one of the very bears we had spent the
[a] closing date of June 1st for grizzly hunting in Hunting
day looking for in a beautiful estuary. Two of my guests were
Zones 427 and 429 in the West Kootenays, he said.
emotionally distraught at the potentially dangerous situation
they had been in that day.

In a meeting with the MFLNRO Resource Management When asked by the Board whether it was necessary to
Director for the region, Strauss said he was told that such regulate the industry to make sure that bear viewing
a measure could be put to the hunters in the ministrys continues to be neutral to the bears and doesnt have
regular Hunter Advisory Committee meetings but that, negative impacts, Wyatt responded:
even if it adopted without objection, this measure would
When we started bear viewing, I paid a lot of money to
not come into effect until 2019 at the earliest. Strauss said
hire probably one of the best bearhuman guys available in
he continued to try to convince government but despite
North America to write us a management plan on how to
meetings with Ministers Bond (Tourism) and Thomson
view bears with the least impact from humans. We put that
(FLNRO) and assurances that measures will be taken, there
plan together, we submitted it to the government, and the
have been no concrete steps taken to afford Grizzly Bear
government has used that at a template for us so that we
Ranch any relief from the extended grizzly hunting season.
have a quota. Were only allowed to take so many people, at
All the signs are that the season will remain unchanged
certain times of the day, so that we allow the bears to have
for 2017.
access to 60% of the time with no human interaction at all,
Another who spoke at a public meeting was Dean he said.
Wyatt, the owner of the provinces original grizzly bear
And I think that as an industry, if we adopt those principles,
viewing lodge, which celebrated its 20th anniversary
and adhere to those principles, well be fine, because the
in 2016. Knight Inlet Lodge has in this time hosted
government has the mechanism already in place, and asks
35,000 tourists from 41 countries, Wyatt told us. The lodge
for the obtaining of back country rec [recreation] permits or
has generated over $400 million in spinoff benefits, has
licences of occupation, and in that you have to submit bear
made over $30 million in direct expenditures in the Candle
management plans, and those bear management plans have
River/Comox Valley and has a payroll of over $10 million,
to be sustainable. The government has a template to work
he said. In addition, Wyatt said that he and his wife have
with, its just a matter of the government has to give us the
spent, with inkind and cash, close to $1 million on science.
opportunities to use them, because were already regulated
We have our esteemed Dr. Melanie Clapham here, whos
done peer reviewed papers on the bears. We have probably We take great pride in what we do with our science. We
the longest continually studied grizzly bear population in take great pride in the fact that we have put together an
British Columbia, in Glendale Cove. organization, with the CBVA, of proper viewing techniques,
proper training techniques, and proper low impact
This is an industry that the Wildlife Branch will tell you
opportunities to view grizzly bears, because we can coexist.
does not exist There is not one individual who works for
The problem is never the bears.
the wildlife department in the Province, in MFLNRO, who
is involved in wildlife viewing, not one. There is no one and
there is no voice for us to be heard anywhere, in spite of
everything we have done The government is telling us,
You dont need us. You guys have done it on your own

F. Human Attitudes: Charlie Russell was that female bears were bringing their cubs for me to
baby sit while they got some freedom. They did this for years
A well known grizzly bear whisperer appeared at one and years with every set of cubs they had because once they
of our public meetings. Charlie Russell is a naturalist who decided they could trust you, they can.
became so determined to understand bear behaviour and
trust towards humans that he ended up living among grizzly
bears in Russia. G. Harmonization of Efforts
Mr. Russell told us he grew up near Waterton Lakes National The Board of Inquiry received input from (and learnt
Park in Alberta as the son of a guide outfitter turned wildlife of the work of) a surprisingly large number of people
filmmaker and author, and how early on he saw there was and organizations interested in the wellbeing of grizzly
more to grizzly bears than people were prone to thinking. bears. Amongst attendees of our public meetings, several
What I saw in particular was an animal that wanted to get mentioned how those concerned should find ways to
along with us. It wanted to be social with us, but we, because complement each others efforts and not duplicate the
of our hunting culture, couldnt allow this All the stories enormous amount of work being done. Some also had
that we talked about around the campfire and believe me, experience with the political aspect.
I listened to many of them, was all about violence and how
Willow Grove Foundation director Andrew Wright spoke
horrible these animals are. I started to realize that we have
of meeting with an advisor of Stephen Harpers. We
to create the animal falsely to feel good about killing it.
were talking about conservation issues. She said we love
He said he spent 20 years as a bearfriendly rancher the current situation because every environmental group
(making the bears feel comfortable around his place) and is arguing for this, that, and the other. As long as youre all
became increasingly fascinated by grizzly bears, eventually singing from different song sheets we can just say its too
giving up ranching to become a bear viewing guide. He later complex to do anything.
decided to quit using my clients as guinea pigs and do v
A couple urged others who oppose grizzly hunting to be
study on what it would be if you could build trust and what
more organized and vocal. I think youve really got to have
that trust would mean I couldnt find a place that would
a concerted lobby. Youre up against a lobby, said former
allow me. Everyone in North America was trying to keep
politician Ian Waddell. The public opinion polls that were
bears fearful so when I said I was going to do it the opposite
cited found, what, that 80, 90% of British Columbians
way and see what would happen if they werent fearful, they
would ban trophy hunting? But we still have trophy hunting.
wouldnt allow me to work.
Because they have a better lobby. And thats what youve
It was a fluke, but I got the most amazing place to study got to face and why youve got to get your lobby to be
in Kamchatka, Russia. I was there for 10 years It was better than their lobby
unbelievable when you act, you have manners around these
animals and you dont have fear and you start propagating
trust what I found when these animals started trusting me

B
Appendix B: List of Submitters
The following individuals have made public oral or written submissions to the Board of Inquiry. In addition, a number of people
have spoken to us about their views on the future of grizzly bears. These include some First Nations individuals, former politicians
and retired public servants. They have chosen to make their views known privately to the Board of Inquiry. We have respected
those decisions.
FIRST NAME LAST NAME ORGANIZATION FIRST NAME LAST NAME ORGANIZATION
Cameron Allan Northeastern BC Wildlife Fund Darwin Cary
Mary Andrews Michael Cassidy
David Beranek Guide Outfitters Association of BC GB Chief
John Bergenske Wildsight Janet Cho North Shore Black Bear Society
Malcom Booth Lana Ciarniello Homalco Wildlife Tours
Jack Boudreau Melanie Clapham Brown Bear Research Network
Eric Boyum Ocean Adventures Charter Company Pierce Clegg
Trish Boyum Ocean Adventures Charter Company Josh Cook
Barry Brandow HakaiRaincoast Applied Conservation Science Lab at
Chris Darimont
Jefferson Bray the University of Victoria
Mike Breck Bruce Davies
Anthony Britneff James Demchuk
Lynne Brookes Arrowsmith Naturalists Janet Dysart
Murray Brown BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource
Tom Ethier
Operations
Gosia Bryja
Denise Everett
Tim Burkhart Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
Bob Faiers East Kootenay Trappers Association
John Butt
Ken Farquharson
Kelly Carson
Kaeleen Foot

FIRST NAME LAST NAME ORGANIZATION FIRST NAME LAST NAME ORGANIZATION
Ron Foot BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource
Bruce McLellan
Lesley Fox The FurBearers Operations and IUCN Bear Specialist Group
Nicole Gangnon Kicking Horse Resorts Grizzly Bear Refuge Melanie Merkley
GOABC Guide Outfitters Association of BC Ben Miller
Deborah Greaves Paul Morgan
Rod Guimont Ronda Murdock
R. Gunther Barbara Murray
Mark Hall East Kootenay Wildlife Association Val Murray Justice for BC Grizzlies
Anthony Hamilton BC Ministry of Environment Miriam Needoba
Joan Hendrick Daniel Norton
Jacklyn Hohmann Page Norton Guide Outfitters Association of BC
Vicky Husband Shawn OConnor Homalco Wildlife Tours, Homalco Nation
Art Johnson Cheryl Olsen
Leslie Kennedy Pet Connection Magazine Gerry Paille BC Wildlife Federation
Tim Killey Ross Peterson
Joanne Kirkland Emily Pickett Vancouver Humane Society
Tommy Knowles Wildlife Defence League Michael Proctor TransBorder Grizzly Bear Project
Clayton Lamb Frank Rad East Kootenay Trappers Association
Jim Lawrence George Ramell
Marianne Lawrenson Jordan Reichert Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada
David Lawrie Stu Rhodes
Alexander Lee Chris Rich
Sonja Leverkus Northeastern BC Wildlife Fund Charlie Russell
Hugh Livingstone Calvin Sandborn University of Victoria Environmental Law Centre
Jody Lownds Columbia Environmental Society Gillian Sanders
Ludlum- Christine Schneider
Louise
Taylor Jamie Scott
Sandy MacDonald Joe Scott Conservation Northwest
Katherine MacRae Commercial Bear Viewing Association Neil Shearer Ocean Adventures
Allen McEwan Kevin Smith Maple Leaf Adventures
Tracey McIntyre Sharen Smith Prince George
Dustin Snyder Spruce City Wildlife Association

FIRST NAME LAST NAME ORGANIZATION
Cas Sowa
Julius Strauss Grizzly Bear Ranch
Faye Street Kootenay Livestock Association
Neil Thompson
Delma Vail
Ian Waddell
Applied Animal Biology Faculty, University of British
Kristen Walker
Columbia
Randy Wallach
Don Wilkins Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
Linda Williams
Don Willimont
Ainslie Willock Canadians for Bears and the Get Bear Smart Society
Elizabeth Wilson
EC Witengfor
Mark Worthing Sierra Club BC
Andrew Wright Willow Grove Foundation
Dean Wyatt Knight Inlet Lodge
Jesse Zeman BC Wildlife Federation

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Cover Photo by Jim & Doria Moodie

4. Bear Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Appendix B: List of Submitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 1

Based on all the information gathered over the past few

We have learned much from this process. But we still have

2 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

We have also just begun the process

We appreciate the generous response to

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 3

4 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

VIABLE THREATENED EXTIRPATED

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 5

6 A relict population is a remnant of a population that formerly had a wider distribution.

6 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 7

the GRIZZLY has been our ancestor, our

Another legal initiative is underway in honour of

8 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 9

10 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

20 Piikani First Nation. See supra note 14.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 11

The Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource

In terms of funding research associated with wildlife

12 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 13

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 15

16 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 17

The state of BCs salmon stocks also came up as a key

18 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

35 Raincoast website. Accessed 20 January 2017.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 19

20 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 21

22 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

MFLNRO staff told us that since 2015 there have been

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 23

24 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

Food attractants can also be an additional driver here.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 25

26 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

Photo by Province of British Columbia. Grizzly on the outskirts of Stewart, BC.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 27

The reason population

28 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 29

30 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 31

53 Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation website. Accessed 30 December 2016.

32 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 33

Part of this problem, some commenters told us, is that

34 GRIZZLY BEAR FOUNDATION

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY 35

In terms of how this impacts grizzly bear conservation,

There is no higherlevel planning occurring in the Province.

6 A relict population is a remnant of a population that formerly had a wider distribution.

20 Piikani First Nation. See supra note 14.

MFLNRO staff told us that since 2015 there have been