Download - North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Annual Report 2011a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/acat/documents/r40314/N_Kootenay...North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Annual Report 2011 Page 5 residents. The

North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Annual Report 2011


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1 TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... 3

1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Program Information ..................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Report Summary ............................................................................................................ 4 1.3 Community Profiles: Past and Present ....................................................................... 5

2. BEAR SIGHTINGS AND BEAR MORTALITY DUE TO HUMAN-BEAR CONFLICT IN 2011 ................................................................................................................................................... 7 3. ATTRACTANTS................................................................................................................8

3.1 Garbage ........................................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Fruit Trees ....................................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Birdfeeders ...................................................................................................................... 8 3.4 Compost .......................................................................................................................... 8 3.5 Outdoor Freezers and Fridges ..................................................................................... 9 3.6 Livestock and Feed ........................................................................................................ 9

4. PROGRAM DELIVERY ................................................................................................. 10 4.1 Presentations ................................................................................................................ 10 4.2 Electric Fencing ............................................................................................................ 10 4.4 Fruit Harvesting ........................................................................................................... 12 4.5 Fruit Tree Removal ...................................................................................................... 13 4.6 Public Displays ............................................................................................................. 13 4.7 Neighbourhood Signs ................................................................................................. 14 4.8 Cooperation with the following Organizations and Community Members: ...... 14 4.9 Work with Conservation Officers .............................................................................. 14

4.10 Bear resistant bins........................................................................................................13

5. VOLUNTEERS ................................................................................................................. 15

6. BEAR SMART .................................................................................................................. 15

7. BARRIERS TO THE PROGRAM ................................................................................. 16

8. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................ 17


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8.1 Electric Fencing for Small Livestock Owners and Orchards ................................. 17 8.2 Installing and Maintaining an Effective Electric Fence .......................................... 17 8.3 Removal of Unmanaged Fruit Trees ......................................................................... 17

9. THE FUTURE OF THE NKL BEAR SMART PROGRAM ...................................... 18

10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... 19

APPENDIX 1 LETTERS OF SUPPORT............................................................................22

APPENDIX 2 NEWSLETTER MAIL-OUT.......................................................................26

2 FIGURES Figure 1 Google earth image of the North Kootenay Lake area ............................................................... 6 Figure 2 The number of PWOR calls and mortality rates due to conflict from 2005-11. ...................... 7 Figure 3 Calls to the PWOR line tracking attractants each month for 2011. ....... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4 Mesh style electric fence ................................................................................................................. 9 Figure 5 Temporary electric fencing for fruit trees ................................................................................... 11 Figure 6 Electric Fencing can be a fun family activity ........................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 7 An ad for summer visitors in the Pennywise Go & Do ............................................................ 12 Figure 8 NKL Bear Smart Program Coordinator at the Lardeau Valley Harvest festival .................. 13


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1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Program Information The North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program aims to reduce human-bear conflict through education and attractant management. The main tools identified by the program coordinator to reduce bear conflicts in this area are protecting livestock and fruit trees with electric fencing and promoting the use of bear resistant garbage bins. Funding for the North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program in 2011 was received from BC Hydro’s Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, the Regional District Central Kootenay, Columbia Basin Trust, BC Conservation Foundation’s Bear Aware Program, and the Village of Kaslo.

The Bear Aware educational program has been delivered in Kaslo since 2005 and in the North Kootenay Lake area since 2006. Program activities have increased in Meadow Creek after the program coordinator moved to the north lake area in 2007. There has been a significant decrease in the number of black and grizzly bears destroyed in the area in the past 5 years. The program has partnered with many different community organizations and receives great support locally.

The huckleberry crop in 2011 was not productive and the fall season brought more grizzly bears into conflict than in the past 2 years. At least 4 black bears were destroyed in Meadow Creek, and additional 6 or 8 black bears in Kaslo area. There were 23 calls made from this area to the provincial wildlife (PWOR) hotline from this area.

1.2 Report Summary This annual report is specifically for the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program and provides a detailed description of program activities in the area around the Meadow Creek Spawning Channel. The spring season of 2011 started in early May with a grizzly killing a goat in Howser and the fall season was very busy because the natural huckleberry crop was scarce and bears were hungry and highly motivated to find food.

In Meadow Creek grizzlies were sighted in every month except July. From August through mid-October grizzlies generally stay at the Channel or in the remote parts along Meadow Creek eating Kokanee. In late October and early November the Kokanee carcasses are gone (eaten or disintegrated) and bears are easily drawn to nearby residential attractants in their search for food before the winter denning period.

The focus of the program continued to be a combination of education about attractant management and making tools such as electric fencing and bear resistant bins available to


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residents. The bear-resistant bins and electric fencing have been being openly received and have worked in all situations to prevent bears from receiving anthropogenic foods.

Letters of support for the North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program are shown in Appendix 1.

1.3 Community Profiles: Past and Present Many of the first Europeans in the North Kootenay Lake area were transient miners, but some stayed to build homesteads and orchards, making this area a major fruit producing region at the beginning of the last century. Bears (including grizzly bears) have been regularly destroyed in the North Kootenay Lake area for decades due to human-bear conflict.

Nestled between the Selkirk and Purcell Mountains, the Meadow Creek Kokanee Spawning Channel at the north estuary of Kootenay Lake supports >500,000 spawning Kokanee each fall. This provides both black and grizzly bears with a reliable natural food source of spawning and dead Kokanee from August through October each year. There have been significant conflicts between residents and bears in this prime low elevation habitat since the first pioneers ‘settled’ the land, especially in the area adjacent to Meadow Creek as it flows from the spawning channel.

In 2011 the program had strong support in Kaslo and the North Kootenay Lake area from community members, schools, businesses and financial support from local governments. There has been a noticeable decrease in available attractants in local communities and residents generally have an increased awareness of bear behaviour and how to prevent conflicts.


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FIGURE 1 GOOGLE EARTH IMAGE OF THE NORTH KOOTENAY LAKE AREA INCLUDING HOWSER, MEADOW CREEK, COOPER CREEK, AND ARGENTA


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2. BEAR SIGHTINGS AND BEAR MORTALITY DUE TO HUMAN-BEAR CONFLICT IN 2011

The number of bear mortalities and calls reporting conflicts are influenced annually by the availability of natural foods (i.e. huckleberries). 2010 and 2011 were sparse for vaccinium spp. production. In 2011 significant conflicts with a grizzly involved predation on domestic goats in Howser and a sheep in Meadow Creek.

FIGURE 2 THE NUMBER OF PWOR CALLS AND MORTALITY RATES DUE TO CONFLICT OF BLACK AND GRIZZLY BEARS FROM 2005-11.


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FIGURE 3 CALLS TO THE PWOR LINE TRACKING ATTRACTANTS EACH MONTH FOR 2011 (NB. SOME CALLS HAD MORE THAN ONE ATTRACTANT). AS THIS FIGURE SHOWS, FRUIT AND LIVESTOCK ARE THE GREATEST ATTRACTANTS.

3.0 Bear Attractants

3.1 Garbage Residents of the North Kootenay Lake area have developed better management of garbage since 2005, and in 2011 most residents did not leave garbage outside. Continuing education was needed to increase understanding of how storing garbage in sheds that are not bear-proof is an unsafe practice. Such a practice can simply teach bears to break open sheds and other structures to find the food within. It would be beneficial to have a garbage by-law passed by the Regional District of the Central Kootenay to ensure that garbage is managed.

3.2 Fruit Trees The unmanaged fruit trees in and on the edges of our neighbourhoods are major sources of human-bear conflict. Old fruit trees are located on paths near cover (trees, shrubs) that are easily accessible to bears and have become reliable food sources. In Meadow Creek unmanaged fruit trees encourage grizzlies that are feeding on spawning redfish to enter people’s yards and use the main roads to get there. These bears are not well-accepted in the community.

3.3 Birdfeeders Bird feeders continued to provide food for bears. Birdfeeders attracted bears that were foraging in neighbourhoods to approach houses and to climb onto decks and porches - to be rewarded with a fine protein source.

3.4 Compost Many residents in the NKL area have well-managed gardens and compost. However, the usual compost methods may not always be enough to deter bears. In some locations of greatest bear activity, the program coordinator recommends not composting outdoors until the bears are denning. In any year these helpful hints can reduce bear problems: covering


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compost additions with soil or leaves, never adding meat or dairy, turning the compost regularly, and sprinkling dolomite lime to reduce smells. Alternatively, one can try vermi-composting.

3.5 Outdoor Freezers and Fridges There was only one report of a bear getting into a freezer in 2011 in the Shutty Bench area. The bear had eaten plum cake, smoked salmon, and pork chops. The residents moved the freezer inside and the conflict ceased. Storing a freezer outdoors can be energy efficient; however this can also make the food (often frozen meat) in the freezer a temptation for bears. Keep the freezer inside or fix strong metal straps around the freezer with an appropriate locking mechanism. Freezers should also be kept clean of any meat or fish smells on the outside of the freezer.

3.6 Livestock and Feed Livestock and livestock feed continued to attract bears, especially at butchering season, which happens in late fall, just as bears are at the height of hyperphagia before entering the den. The management of feed and offal and using electric fencing prevents conflicts. There were 4 cases of predation conflict in 2011: one black bear and chickens; one black bear and a sheep; and 2 cases of grizzlies and goats.


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4. PROGRAM DELIVERY 4.1 Presentations On May 5th, the program coordinator hosted a meeting with the

Conservation Officer Service and residents at the Lardeau Valley Community Centre (LVCC) in Meadow Creek. This meeting was very well attended, with ~40 people in the audience. This meeting served to introduce the Meadow Creek Bear Management project and to have the leaving CO Len Butler state his support for the project. Len had been the CO for the area since 1993 and is very well respected in the community. The new CO Jason Hawkes was also there, and the meeting served to introduce Jason and to provide residents with information about new protocols regarding grizzly bear management in our area.

On Oct 4th, the program coordinator hosted a presentation with grizzly biologist Dr. Michael Proctor at the LVCC. This presentation focused on the management project to date and how the local population of grizzlies fits into the greater meta-population of grizzlies in the Selkirk and Purcell ranges. Part of the focus of both these meetings was to promote the need for attractant management in Meadow Creek to prevent bear conflicts.

4.2 Electric Fencing The use of well-installed and well maintained electric fencing is effective in keeping small livestock and fruit trees safe from bears. Bears that kill livestock are usually destroyed immediately. In 2011 the program installed 11 electric fences to prevent conflict with bears in the Meadow Creek area. In all 11 cases, the fencing proved effective. In November there was a case where a black bear broke into one of two peacock coops at Perry Remple’s and killed all the peacocks in that coop. The next day the program coordinator installed electric fencing around the second coop. There was clear sign that the bear returned the second night and entered the empty coop, the fenced coop remained safe and all predation ceased, though the bear was still active in the area.

There was another case where a sow grizzly with 3 cubs got some pig feed at a small farm. Electric fencing was installed around the pigs and though the bears were in the area for a few days, they did not enter the pig pen. There were also fruit trees electric- fenced (e-fenced) in Meadow Creek that were formerly attracting bears, which were not touched behind the e-fencing provided

through the program. Subsidies for the cost of fencing were made available from the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program in the Meadow Creek area. Electric fences were installed at the following residences in the Meadow Creek area in 2011: Cord Bauer (Meadow Creek Road), Ray Remple (Howser), Ann McNab (Howser), Ellen

FIGURE 4 MESH STYLE ELECTRIC FENCE


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Wasser (Cooper Creek Road), Sonja Franz (Cooper Creek Road), Perry Remple (Argenta Road), Jenn Berg Hwy 31), Gary Wagner (Howser), Don Edwards (Meadow Creek Road), George Brinkman (Hwy 31), and Shad Wilson (Hwy 31).

4.3 Media

The Pennywise, our local newspaper, sponsored weekly display ads in their paper. These ads keep residents informed of local bear activity and sightings and reminders on management of common bear attractants. The program also posted classified ads and additional display ads throughout the season. Ads were also used as notices for workshops, fruit harvesting, bear information, and upcoming events. The program coordinator also mailed a newsletter to every Post Office Box in the area (see Appendix 2).

FIGURE 5 ELECTRIC FENCING CAN BE A FUN FAMILY ACTIVITY!

FIGURE 6 TEMPORARY ELECTRIC FENCING FOR FRUIT TREES


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FIGURE 7 AN AD FOR SUMMER VISITORS IN THE PENNYWISE GO & DO

4.4 Fruit Harvesting Responsible management of fruit trees is of primary importance in Kaslo and the North Kootenay Lake area. In 2005, Bear Aware identified the excess of unmanaged fruit trees as a prime source of human-bear conflict in the region and so the program coordinator started working in partnership with the North Kootenay Lake (NKL) Fruit Tree Project. Working in partnership with The Fruit Tree Project allowed the program to prioritize trees for harvesting in order to keep bears out of the areas near JV Humphries and Jewett Schools. The Fruit Tree Project was designed to put those with excess fruit (or those unable to harvest their fruit) in touch with volunteers who harvest the fruit for themselves. This project managed fruit to help feed local families while educating about bear smart practices.

The windfall fruit was distributed to livestock owners in the area. This partnership played a critical role in cleaning up excess fruit that would otherwise be available for bears. Part of the success of this project is attributed to local awareness of utilizing a food source that otherwise often goes to waste. Some residents enjoyed feeding and watching wildlife, especially bears, in their backyards. There is a very real need for education: how the practice of “leaving the fruit to the bears” does not help bears but in fact often leads to their destruction.

Harvesting fruit as soon as it is ripe will not always keep it safe from bears. Well installed, well maintained electric fencing will allow fruit to ripen on the tree and prevent bears from breaking tree branches. The Kaslo Food Security Project, sponsored by North Kootenay Lake Community Services, and the Fruit Tree Project worked together with the NKL Bear Smart Program to increase local food security in the area while reducing human-wildlife conflict.


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In Meadow Creek, apples directly across from and beside Jewett School and near the creek were harvested in partnership with the Bear Smart Program. Some fruit trees in the area were harvested through the Fruit Tree Project and the fruit was utilized by the Fruit Tree Project's canning workshops at the Hall.

4.5 Fruit Tree Removal There are still some ‘rogue’ fruit trees in the area that have not been managed for decades that produce only small, scabby fruit. Nobody was interested in using this fruit and it continued to draw bears into our community annually. This situation is greatly improved in 2011 through the harvesting program and utilizing this fruit for juice and livestock. The program also promoted the removal of unused fruit trees by residents.

The program was able to remove 4 of these trees in 2011 along Hwy 31 in Meadow Creek, but the other trees that have been recommended for removal are on private land and the landowners are not willing to cut down their fruit trees. However, they were supportive of the program coordinator harvesting the fruit to prevent bear conflicts.

4.6 Public Displays

FIGURE 8 NKL BEAR SMART PROGRAM COORDINATOR AT THE BOOTH AT THE LARDEAU VALLEY HARVEST FESTIVAL

The NKL Bear Smart Program promoted Bear Aware practices with the educational display board at the following events:

• Kaslo Saturday Market, every Saturday in Kaslo; • Lardeau Valley Market, every Sunday in Meadow Creek; • Kaslo Garden Festival May 24th; • Kaslo Jazz Festival Market July 29-30th;


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• Meadow Creek Kokanee Spawning Channel Open House, September 11th; • Argenta Fall Faire, Argenta Community Hall, September 17thand • Meadow Creek Fall Faire, Lardeau Valley Community Hall, September 24th.

A total of approximately 950 people were outreached to through the display board at community events.

4.7 Neighbourhood Signs “Bear in Area” signs were hung in identified neighbourhoods of Kaslo and a “Grizzly with Cubs” sign was hung along Meadow Creek Road. Many residents commented on how effective they thought the signs were at raising awareness and providing a timely reminder about bear activity.

4.8 Cooperation with the following Organizations and Community Members:

• The Kaslo Fruit Tree Project (with 35 community volunteers) • The Food Security Task Force, sponsored by North Kootenay Lake Community Services. • The Pennywise, our local newspaper • JV Humphries and Jewett Schools • BC Conservation Corps • BC Conservation Foundation • Bear Aware • BC Hydro’s Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program • Columbia Basin Trust • Village of Kaslo • Regional District of Central Kootenay • Conservation Officer Service • Lardeau Valley Community Centre • Meadow Creek Store

4.9 Work with Conservation Officers The BACC was in contact with Conservation Officer Jason Hawkes throughout the season and responded to bear calls on his request. When Jason was away, the BACC was in contact with Senior Officer Arnold DeBoon from Creston with regards to bear problems in the NKL area, and responded to calls from the RAPP line upon his request.


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4.10 Bear Resistant Bins The loan of bear resistant bins for garbage and livestock feed has gone a long way to mitigating bear conflicts and raising support for the program. In 2011 there were 12 bins loaned to residents of the Meadow Creek area. These were especially effective in two cases where a mother grizzly with three cubs was in the area of people with babies who are currently building houses on their property but have nowhere to store garbage. Bears love baby diapers and without the timely loan of these bins to these residents, the grizzly family quite likely would’ve become conditioned to human garbage. Instead, the bins protected the bears from this unfortunate outcome, and the residents were grateful for the help and have become program supporters.

5. VOLUNTEERS The NKL Bear Smart program was partners with the Feeding Families, and the “Not Bears Fruit Tree Project” that had 35 volunteer fruit harvesters. The partnership is effective at managing the excess of fruit in the area. The volunteers harvested the fruit for their own use.

Bear Aware volunteers worked at the Saturday Market booths in Kaslo and put up and took down the sandwich board every Sunday in summer at Meadow Creek, totalling 50 volunteer hours.

6. BEAR SMART (THIS IS FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF KASLO) The criteria for Bear Smart Communities are:

• Prepare a bear hazard assessment of the community and surrounding area. • Prepare a bear/human conflict management plan that is designed to address the bear

hazards and land-use conflicts identified in the previous step. • Revise planning and decision-making documents to be consistent with the bear/human

conflict management plan. • Implement a continuing directed at all sectors of the community. • Develop and maintain a bear-proof municipal solid waste management system. • Implement "Bear Smart" bylaws prohibiting the provision of food to bears as a result of

intent, neglect or irresponsible management of attractants.

In 2005 the BACC produced an initial Bear Hazard Assessment and Bear-Human Conflict Management Plan for Kaslo and drafted both Bear Hazard Assessments and Conflict Management


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Plans for the communities of Meadow Creek and Mirror Lake in 2006. Ongoing updates of these documents continue annually and are available at the Kaslo Village Office.

The NKL Bear Smart Program has contributed to the Official Community Plan by recommending that the Village plant non-fruit bearing plants/trees in new development landscaping. Bear Aware also recommended that it be the responsibility of landowners (especially absentee landowners) to manage their fruit trees through local fruit harvest or tree removal.

The Village of Kaslo purchased additional bear proof bins for Front St. in 2009.This was a recommendation of the Kaslo Bear-Human Conflict Management Plan in 2005. With the purchase of these additional bins, Kaslo was well on its way to a Bear-Proof Waste Management System. Almost all residents of Kaslo managed their garbage to avoid attracting bears. Support from both the local RCMP and the Village of Kaslo has helped to encourage those who were leaving garbage accessible to bears to change their behaviour. Fourteen bear resistant bins for residential use were purchased and lent to residents in 2011 (five in 2008, eight in 2009, and ten in 2010).

The Village of Kaslo adopted a new wildlife attractant bylaw and also a new garbage bylaw in 2009. These bylaws are an excellent tool in ensuring bear attractants are managed in Kaslo and are the product of three years of work in this direction from the program.

Bylaws are available at http://kaslo.ihostez.com/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=628

7. BARRIERS TO THE PROGRAM The NKL Bear Smart Program is reliant on outside funding necessary to continue implementation of the program each year. A stable funding source would ensure the continued reduction of bear-human conflict in the future as human development increases. The attitudes of some residents towards bears in the Meadow Creek area have changed through program activities. Residents generally now accept living in coexistence with bears, as opposed to just shooting them on sight. Part of the reason for improved attitudes towards coexistence is that as residents manage their bear attractants they experience less conflict with bears. The electric fencing is a key aspect to this as there is very little tolerance for bears that predate on livestock or break fruit trees, but the fencing allows for residents to have more of a ‘live and let live’ attitude.

http://kaslo.ihostez.com/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=628�


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8. RECOMMENDATIONS

8.1 Electric Fencing for Small Livestock Owners and Orchards The use of well-installed and maintained electric fencing is probably the most effective method to keep bear attractants such as small livestock and fruit trees safe from bears. In 2007 two grizzlies that were killing pigs were shot in the spring, and three black bears were shot for killing poultry. In 2008 and 2009 such bear mortalities were mitigated through the use of electric fencing installed through the program. The program suggests that the addition of well-trained guard dogs in the electrically fenced area may be the most effective known deterrent for bears. The program coordinator’s time and expenses as well as fencing subsidies for small holders with livestock are needed to ensure that electric fencing will be properly installed.

8.2 Installing and Maintaining an Effective Electric Fence When installing an electric fence as a bear deterrent a good ground rod connection and 4-6 steel wires (not the nylon/plastic variety used for grazing animals) spaced 8-10” is recommended. Baiting the wire at a bear’s nose height (~18”) with a half cooked piece of greasy meat such as bacon or sausage will encourage a bear to touch the wire with its nose or mouth. This method is far more effective than giving a bear the shock through its thick fur. If you live along a bear corridor or in high density bear season such as the fall in Meadow Creek, you can replace the bait every 2 weeks to condition new bears that may come into the area. For electric fencing to be effective, you need to check your voltage and walk your fence line to look for any shorts in electricity (usually caused by vegetation touching the fence wires and identified by a spark or a “clicking” sound). Electric fence energizers for predator fencing are available from Margo Wildlife Supplies for $225 (as of November, 2011), plus the cost of wire and insulators. The program coordinator developed a new style of electrified mesh fencing that will also keep out smaller predators (see Figure 4).

8.3 Removal of Unmanaged Fruit Trees There are many unmanaged fruit trees in the North Kootenay Lake area, some of which are mapped in the Bear Hazard Assessments. Utilizing fruit through the Fruit Tree Project is the best option for many of the productive fruit trees in the area. Fruit is needed to feed many low income families. Ongoing education (and electric fences), will make it possible to manage fruit trees and to avoid having bears become food-conditioned. The area has many old, beautiful, productive fruit trees from heritage stock. These heritage trees, in particular, should not be replaced as long as the fruit is managed. There are several “rogue” trees that have not been managed in years and


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produce small, scabby fruit. These trees are usually growing in isolated pockets of cover (forest or tall brush) along our transportation routes, some of which were probably seeded by past generations of bears themselves. This food source attracts wild bears to human settlement. As the bears become more comfortable with the sounds and smells of humans, they are tempted to come closer to another food source: garbage. The program recommends the ongoing and careful removal of the unmanaged trees identified in the Bear Hazard Assessment maps. This will have to be a cooperative effort of the Village of Kaslo, the Regional District, and individual landowners and coordinated by the Bear Smart Program.

9. THE FUTURE OF THE NORTH KOOTENAY LAKE BEAR SMART PROGRAM

Community knowledge about bear behaviour and attractant management is growing, and now only a few identified residents continue to leave garbage accessible to bears. The loan of bear-resistant garbage bins has really helped residents manage garbage and helps to gain support for program activities. Most people now realize that the bears approach residences to forage because we provide easy meals for them. The program will need to continue into the future because there will be more human developments built in bear country and new residents moving into the area. A remote sensor camera would be an excellent educational tool, especially for pictures of bears and the effectiveness of electric fencing. We also need other useful pictures, such as: any garbage left out, fruit to be managed and of local bears. The North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program is reliant on consistent funding that will provide the continuity necessary to continue Bear Aware education principles to the communities of the area. This funding will help to implement the recommendations of the author to mitigate bear-human conflict and reduce unnecessary bear deaths. The NKL Bear Smart Program, the Fruit Tree Project, and the Meadow Creek Bear Management Project have been well received and supported by community members, local politicians, schools, local RCMP, health professionals, local biologists, businesses, and the CO Service. There is widespread support for the continuation of these programs in the North Kootenay Lake Area.


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10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program and Fruit Tree Project wishes to thank the following organizations for their financial support, without which delivery of the program would have been impossible:

Columbia Basin Trust; Bear Aware Community Coordinator wages

BC Hydro’s Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program; $10,000 for program coordinator, electric fencing subsidies, outreach, bear resistant bins for loan

Bear Aware; educational materials and support

British Columbia Conservation Corps; administration

British Columbia Conservation Foundation; administration

The Village of Kaslo; $2,500 for office costs and advertising

The Regional District of Central Kootenay; $3,000 for wages

The Pennywise newspaper; $1,600 for advertising

Thanks also go to the following supporters:

Kaslo Food Security Project

North Kootenay Lake Community Services

Kaslo Saturday Market

Lardeau Valley Community Centre

Meadow Creek Store

Nelson District Conservation Officers

Dr. Joanne Siderius

Dr. Michael Proctor

And most of all,


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To the bears.

Appendix 1: Letters of Support


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Dr. Michael Proctor PO Box 606 Kaslo, BC V0G 1M0 October 30, 2011

To Whom It May Concern: RE: Support for Gillian Sanders, coordinator of the North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program and Feeding Families, Not Bears

I am a research scientist who has studied grizzly and black bears in southeast British

Columbia for the past 15 years. I am currently working on applied research and management to improve the status of grizzly bears in the trans-border area of the southern Kootenay region. Through this work I am very familiar with management actions that make a difference to bear populations. The single most effective goal for grizzly bears is to reduce human-caused mortality. In this region, most unnecessary bear mortalities (black and grizzly) are caused by bears being attracted to human food sources such as garbage, livestock or fruit trees. The North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program and Feeding Families Not Bears are important and effective tools in the effort to reduce unnecessary bear mortalities. From a bear population perspective they help to minimize bear mortality (a problem for regional grizzly bear populations). From a human perspective they help to reduce human-bear conflict for both bear species, an important goal in learning to coexist with large carnivores. Feeding Families, Not Bears reduces excess fruit available to bears and provides access to fresh local fruit for local community members. I believe it is an essential link to the effectiveness of the Bear Smart Program in the North Kootenay Lake area.

In the past few years Gillian has worked with Conservation Officers and residents to install electric fences to reduce human-bear conflicts. This initiative proved effective in all cases where residents took the effort seriously. This fencing program has been responsible for repelling many grizzly bears from potential conflict with livestock and helped educate landowners about keeping bear attractants under control. Continuing and expanding the electric fencing program to residents raising small livestock and/or fruit trees is essential for the long-term conservation of grizzly populations.

Gillian Sanders coordinated these projects with excellent results. There is a growing awareness of what attracts bears to our community and how to prevent conflict. The continued outreach to communities such as Meadow Creek is an identified need in the area.

I have hired Gillian to work for me on bear research projects for the past 10 years. Through this work she has developed a keen appreciation for the delicate public relations perspective required for successful bear management work and community education. She is a dedicated and enthusiastic individual who will do a good job in continuing the Bear Smart Program and Feeding Families Not Bears in Kaslo and the North Kootenay Lake area. I support her efforts to continue and expand these programs and offer any expertise I may offer in her work. Sincerely,

Michael Proctor


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Appendix 2: Newsletter was mailed to every Post Office box in the area on Sept 22nd,

2011


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Meadow Creek Less-Lethal Bear Management Project

A partnership between BC Conservation Officer Service, grizzly biologist Dr. Michael Proctor, and the North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program.

The majority of bear conflicts can be prevented through managing attractants such as fruit, garbage, pet food, compost, livestock feed, and livestock. Electric fencing is effective to protect fruit trees and

prevent bears (and other predators) from killing livestock. However, the Meadow Creek Kokanee Spawning Channel brings high densities of grizzlies to our community each fall. Most bears stay on the fish, but after the spawn is over some bears are drawn into the community by other attractants.

Less-lethal options are now available to establish boundaries around our homes and to move bears away from areas that we don’t want them to be.

If you have bear problems call the North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program 250-353-1137

Information Meeting 7pm Tuesday October 4th LVCC

Download - North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Annual Report 2011a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/acat/documents/r40314/N_Kootenay...North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Annual Report 2011 Page 5 residents. The

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