Alberta has launched a new census of its grizzly bear population, the first in eight years, a move wildlife experts say is long overdue given recent changes to provincial bear management policies.
Pilot project underway in two bear management areas
The province announced that a pilot project is being carried out by the Foothills Research Institute (fRI), a contractor that has performed similar counts before. The survey will continue through the end of 2024, according to a spokesperson for Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter.
“To help confidently identify population trends, Alberta is supporting a grizzly monitoring project led by fRI Research,” the spokesperson said in an email. “The project will provide valuable scientific information on grizzly bear populations, habitat use and ecology to help guide future management and recovery decisions.”
Work is being done in two of the province’s seven bear management areas (BMAs), with some occurring in the Rockies west of Edmonton, a source said.
Experts welcome count but note it's overdue
Andrea Morehouse, who holds a PhD in ecology from the University of Alberta and last participated in a grizzly count 12 years ago in southwestern Alberta, said the need for such a census is widely recognized among conservationists.
“I don’t think anyone’s questioning it should be done but it’s (been) a matter of resources,” Morehouse said. “It’s an intensive field effort and it involves multiple partners.”
The province’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, updated in 2020, calls for a count every five years. “It’s all tied back to the grizzly recovery plan … it’s certainly something highlighted in the recovery plan,” she noted.
Recovery plan emphasizes regular monitoring
The recovery plan states that “an abundance estimate is the best way of assessing population status and is necessary to assess mortality rate.” It adds that “further work is needed to determine thresholds for where Alberta grizzly bear populations will likely be stable or where a decline is of concern.”
The plan recommends that bear numbers be tabulated in each of the seven BMAs on a rotating schedule twice per decade.
Jay Honeyman, a former provincial officer who specialized in reducing human-bear conflicts, said he is “encouraged” by the new count but noted that conducting it across all seven BMAs would take several years. He also voiced skepticism about the province’s commitment to grizzly sustainability, questioning why a new recovery plan is needed when “we have a plan and arguably a whole bunch of stuff hasn’t been done on it.”
Results to inform future policy
The survey results will be presented to the province’s Endangered Species Conservation Committee and will “help inform the next Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan and ensure Alberta’s recovery efforts continue to be guided by the best available science,” Hunter’s office said.
