The Alberta government has taken a big step in grizzly bear conservation, designating grizzlies as a threatened species after five years of population studies.
Mel Knight, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development, made the announcement on Thursday, June 3, in a conference with provincial media.
"We want grizzlies to remain part of the heritage of the province of Alberta," said Knight. "Bears share the landscape with people of Alberta. We have decided that we are going to recognize (grizzly) bears as threatened in the province of Alberta."
The province has been looking at the issue of grizzly bear populations since 2002, and has recently completed a multi-year DNA study, part of which took place near Crowsnest Pass. The study collected hair samples from bears throughout the mountainous areas of Alberta, and used the information to scientifically estimate population numbers.
The studies indicate that there are approximately 700 grizzly bears remaining in Alberta. Of these, said Knight, 350 to 400 are of breeding age. He said that 1000 bears of breeding age are necessary to sustain the population.
Knight said that the province has faith in the science behind these estimates. "We've done a lot of data gathering," he said.
He said that the biggest threats to grizzly populations are traffic conflicts, human conflicts, and poaching. He noted that several initiatives have been undertaken to protect grizzlies even before the new designation, including the BearSmart program.