Grizzlies

A Preliminary Core Conservation review of the Interior Dryland Grizzly Bear of Chilcotin Ranges in British Columbia (2011)

This research was conducted by Dr. Lance Craighead and Wayne McCrory, RPBio.for FONV and the Valhalla Wilderness Society.

"Grizzly bears are habitat generalists that can adapt to a wide variety of habitat types. However, human encroachment at low elevations has reduced grizzly bear habitat mostly to mountain forests and meadows. Grizzly bears utilize low elevation habitats when there is sufficient space and security where they can avoid human conflicts. As industrial use of grizzly habitat increases there will be less habitat for grizzly bears, and other species, and their population will decrease further. Current population estimates indicate that grizzly habitat, and thus the health of the ecosystem, has been significantly degraded already by human developments: populations have in fact been extirpated from some regions.

"In order to conserve biodiversity in the region, grizzly habitat should be protected and restored. The status of grizzly bears and grizzly habitat can serve as an index to biodiversity and ecosystem health that should be closely monitored."