Strategies preferred to minimize or resolve human-grizzly conflicts include: 



1 . Inform and educate the public 



2. Enforce food storage rules/regulation 



3. Use of deterrents and/or aversive conditioning methods 



4. Access management if needed 



5. Management control 



6. Hunting 



Inform and Educate 



People living, working and recreating in the PCA have been exposed to grizzly bears for 

 decades. However, outside the PCA most individuals have less experience with grizzly bears. 

 People in these peripheral areas will initially have a much lower comfort level relative to grizzly 

 bears. In the past, bear safety information has often been based on fear of the bear. It is apparent 

 that some people do fear the grizzly bear. Some of the concerns are based on worries that the 

 presence of bears in new areas would reduce people's freedoms and safety while they are 

 recreating and conducting economic activities. 



Ideally, fear of the bear should largely be replaced by awareness or informed respect. 

 Respecting bears and learning proper behavior around them will help keep bear encounters 

 positive for both people and bears, and reduce the likelihood of negative encounters. Education 

 is the key. Bear safety information should be based on the biology and behavior of the bear, on 

 how to interpret bear behavior, and on how to prevent encounters. Information should address 

 situations that cause the majority of human-bear conflicts: bear habituation to humans, bear use 

 of human food sources, and close encounters. Bear safety information should be of a positive, 

 non-alarmist nature and should target specific audiences — hunters, hikers/recreationists, rural 

 homeowners, livestock operators, rural communities, commercial interests (loggers, miners, 

 resort operators), and others. Community involvement is also important in developing bear 

 safety programs. FWP will work in partnership with communities located in bear habitat to 

 develop/promote programs that prevent human-grizzly conflicts. Some examples of the types of 

 information available are found in the packet on the back cover of this document. 



FWP will implement an early warning system to alert people who live, work, and/or recreate in 

 bear habitat when natural foods are scarce and risk of conflicts may be correspondingly high. 

 During years of drought and poor whitebark pine seed production, many grizzlies are forced out 

 of secure habitat to lower elevations where they are more likely to come into conflict with 

 people, livestock, and property. (During such times, human-caused grizzly deaths are more than 

 four times higher than in good food years.) Special consideration should be given during poor 

 food years to avoid conflicts and excessive mortalities, especially to females. FWP and other 

 cooperators are currently implementing, and will continue to refine, a system to alert the public 

 of higher risk of encounters during poor food years, and to redouble efforts to inform livestock 

 operators, outfitters, and others of the need for careftil conduct, including securing bear 

 attractants to avoid problems. 



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