102 



Mammals — Uar Liriiifi RtsuKnex 



Table 2. Popukilion estimate^ and 

 trends of American black bears in 

 the United States (adapted from 

 Peltonet af 1W4). 



and Texas; rare in Missouri; and protected in 

 Kentucky. They are unclassified in Connecticut. 

 The lemainder of the 40 states responding to the 

 survey classify black bears as a game species 

 (Table 2). In 1970 Arizona and Nevada listed 

 black bears as a protected species and Texas 

 listed them as game (Cowan 1972); thus the cur- 

 rent classifications (Table 2) represent an 

 upgrade in status for Arizona and Nevada and a 

 downgrade for Texas. The status of bears in all 

 remaining states covered in both surveys 

 remained essentially unchanged. 



The Southern Appalachian Region 

 (Tennessee. North Carolina, South Carolina, 

 and Georgia) is an area of special concern, and 

 bear populations there have been routinely 

 monitored since the late 1960"s by the Southern 

 Appalachian Bear Study Group. Initial esti- 

 mates placed the population at 2.000-2. 500 

 bears. The establishment of a network of black 

 bear sanctuaries in the 1970"s. scattered 

 throughout the national forests in North 

 Carolina. Tennessee, and Great Smoky 

 Mountains National Park, provided protection 



■HO '^V, 



'1991 estimates Irom McCracken et al (1995), 



Hl.ick Ix'.cr (/ /^H^ aiiiiTii alius). 



for bears in the region, and estimates remain at 

 2.0()0-2.5(X) bears. 



Two of 16 recognized subspecies of black 

 bears (Hall 1981) require special mention: the 

 Louisiana bear {U.a. luteolus), with a range of 

 east Texas, all of Louisiana, and southern 

 Mississippi; and the Florida bear (U.a. flori- 

 chinits). with a range of Florida and southern 

 Alabama. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

 was pefitioned in 1987 and 1990 to list the 

 Louisiana bear and the Florida bear, respective- 

 ly, as endangered species under the Endangered 

 Species Act of 1973. In 1992 the Louisiana bear 

 was officially placed on the federal endangered 

 species list as a threatened species, and the 

 Florida bear was placed in a "'wananted but pre- 

 cluded" category. This latter category indicates 

 that although biological evidence supports list- 

 ing, several other species of higher priority are 

 awaiting listing and will be listed before the 

 Florida bear. At present, the U.S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service is considering listing bears in 

 southern but not northern Florida. 



Given the data available, the total minimum 

 population of black bears reported in North 

 America approaches 650.000-700.000. Total 

 annual mortality (mostly from hunting) for the 

 United States (more than 19,000) and Canada 

 (more than 23.000) exceeds 42,000, which is 

 less than 109f of the known population. Many 

 state wildlife agencies accept that bear popula- 

 tions can sustain 20%-25% annual harvest mor- 

 tality, with the understanding that some areas 

 are more sensitive to overharvest than others. 

 Thus, except for those in the southeastern 

 United States and in Idaho and New Mexico. 

 North American black bear populations appear 

 stable or on the increase. Only concentrated 

 research on isolated populations of bears 

 remaining in the southeastern United States will 

 answer questions concerning the long-term via- 

 bility of those populations. 



