Grizzly deemed threatened species

Grizzly bears have been designated a threatened species in Alberta.“Grizzly bears in Alberta are at a certain amount of risk for a number of reasons,” said Mel Knight, minister of sustainable resource development, in a June conference call.In 2002, a recovery plan was initiated for the bears that included population and habitat information. The bears are one of 13 species listed as threatened in Alberta.The Endangered Species Conservation Committee, a group of ranchers, industry, academics, wildlife managers and conservationists, made the recommendation based on population size and decline, species’ distribution, how much area is occupied and potential natural and human-related threats to the population.Future conservation actions under Alberta’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan include enhancing the province’s educational BearSmart programs, co-ordinating research and limiting access to selected roads in grizzly bear habitat.A hunting ban is also in place.Alberta has about 700 bears but British Columbia has about 16,000 with about 1,500 more living in the U.S., excluding Alaska.Half the bears in Alberta are of breeding age but 1,000 bears are needed to maintain a stable population.The province is spending $1 million on bear management but rancher Walter Suntjens of Coronation, Alta., believes some of that money should go to pay ranchers and farmers to maintain habitat.“Farmers and ranchers control 80 percent of the habitat in Alberta,” he said. “If they have grizzly bear habitat, pay them to maintain that habitat and let them put wildlife on the plus side of their ledger instead of the negative side,” said the chair of the Alberta Beef Producers’ wildlife committee.That idea could come to fruition, said rancher Norm Ward of Granum, Alta., a member of the Western Stock Growers Association.He said provisions in Alberta’s 2009 Land Stewardship Act could compensate landowners for protecting and maintaining wildlife habitat.“The Western Stock Growers are working with the Alberta government on the development of a market for environmental services,” he said.Some of those services might include providing bear habitat and could be extended to carbon or water storage.Regional plans may set aside specific areas to protect, conserve and enhance land with environmental, scenic or aesthetic values or agricultural land. If that happened, the government said it would compensate landowners for any decrease in the market value of their land.Government has expanded what is allowed under conservation easements for different lengths of time.A person could be paid to follow certain agricultural practices that would allow for habitat on that easement. The act also allows for conservation exchanges to encourage market-based conservation and the sale of carbon credits or other preservation activities.

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