Maintaining Viability Of Brown Bears Along The Southern Fringe Of Their Distribution

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1995
Authors:McLellan, BN
Journal:Ursus
Volume:10
Pagination:607-611
Date Published:1995
Keywords:Ursus arctos
Abstract:

In North America, threatened brown bears (Ursus arctos) and brown bear recovery are usually viewed as United States' issues. Most of the southern fringe of brown bear distribution, however, is in Canada; approximately 3,050 km of occupied-unoccupied fringe are in British Columbia and 1,570 km are in Alberta compared to 1,700 km in the lower 48 states. The distribution of brown bears in southern Canada has been poorly documented and publicized but, in addition to their inherent value, these bears are critical to the viability of brown bears in the U.S. In this paper I present a British Columbian view of brown bears along their southern fringe and human influences related to industry, settlement, hunting, and fragmentation. I also describe scales of land-use planning in British Columbia and the consensus process on which they are developed. Even with well intended plans, maintaining brown bear numbers and distribution is an increasingly difficult challenge because human populations are rapidly growing in and adjacent to brown bear range. Given the increase in people, human behavior will have to change to accommodate bears, and changing human behavior will involve reducing individual rights and privileges that are enjoyed in western North America.

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