Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
COLLEGE OF FORESTRY AND CONSERVATION
MISSOULA,MT 59812
Performing Department
College of Forestry and Conservation
Non Technical Summary
It is clear that the small populations of grizzly bears in the Cabinet-Yaak trans-border ecosystem require enhanced connectivity with Canadian populations and reduced human-caused mortality for "recovery" and an increased chance of long-term persistence. There are an estimated 30-50 grizzly bears in the Purcell Mountains of Canada and the US and they are becoming fragmented from Canadian populations north of British Columbia Highway 3. Excessive human-caused mortality within the US and the Canadian portion of this ecosystem is responsible for a portion of the fragmentation and their declining population status (-3.7% / yr). Our team began research aimed at enhancing inter-population connectivity across Highway 3 in Canada in 2004. We carried out a 2 year DNA survey to predict linkage zones and deployed 8 GPS radio collars on grizzly bears to locate highway crossing areas. This grant allows us to continue this radio collar effort and begin a program to reduce human-caused mortality within the Canadian portion of this ecosystem. We will deploy 4 more GPS collars on grizzly bears and 10 GPS collars on black bears. Telemetry from black and grizzly bears will test the validity of using black bears as surrogates for grizzly bear connectivity along US Highway 2 in Montana and provide information necessary to maintain and/or enhance black bear connectivity. All results will go toward establishing functional "linkage zones" along the Highway 3 corridor for black and grizzly bears (benefiting other wildlife species as well). We will also assist in funding a "Bear Aware" specialist who will work to minimize human-caused mortality in the linkage areas in the Highway 3 area through prevention and education. We expect this effort will reduce human-caused mortality and bear-human conflicts resulting in increased population numbers and survival of inter-population migrants.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to identify and establish linkage zones connecting the U.S. Cabinet-Yaak recovery zone grizzly bears to the Canadian Purcell Mountains bears. Specific objectives include: 1) Identify important grizzly bear linkage areas for protection or enhancement; 2) Identify important black bear linkage areas for protection or enhancement; 3) Test if black bear linkage zones are a good surrogate for grizzly bears; 4) Reduce the numbers of grizzly bears that are attracted to human sites that end in conflict and death to the bear through education and prevention; 5) Increase public awareness of the conservation status of grizzly bears in this ecosystem and the importance of reducing mortality; 6) Improve any municipal or regional district facilities that may be contributing to excessive grizzly bear mortality. Outcomes: The cumulative movement data we collect will be used to validate and inform a linkage zone Resource Selection Function (RSF) predictive model we are building from the results of 2 years of systematic broad-based DNA sampling between Creston and Cranbrook, British Columbia that has been completed. The combined data derived from DNA surveys, predictive modeling, and actual detailed movement patterns will let the bears tell us where the best linkage zones are. We will also prepare an analysis and report comparing movement patterns of grizzly and black bears through human environments to validate the suitability of inferring grizzly bear linkage zones from black bear movements, as is required in several locations (US Hwy 2 in western Montana and Hwy 95 in north Idaho) with very sparse grizzly bear populations. We will help support a Bear Aware Coordinator position to provide educational material and advice to people living within the linkage area from Creston to Cranbook, British Columbia for one year. This program is a partnership with Bear Aware British Columbia which is supported by the British Columbia Conservation Corps, British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection, and the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund.
Project Methods
We will fit both grizzly and black bears with GPS radio-collars. After the collars are collected (2008) we will combine 3 years of data and prepare an analysis and report of bear movements and linkage priority areas for further protection. We will use the resulting movement data to identify important grizzly and black bear linkage habitat, test and inform a DNA survey-derived predictive linkage model, test if black bear linkage zones are a surrogate for grizzly bears, and ultimately establish linkage zones along Hwy 3. We will tabulate personal contacts, public presentations, mailings, handouts, and document real improvements in securing potential bear attractants made as a result of this effort. This position is expected to reduce the number of bears eliminated by management removals or relocations, and is a critical component of our overall linkage goals. We have detailed spatially explicit records of the increasing grizzly bear mortality for this ecosystem, and will be able to track the success of this effort, through our existing mortality monitoring program, by comparing future complaints and mortalities with current trends. Efforts to reduce human-caused mortality will in reality take multiple years to accomplish. This effort is the beginning of that multiple year effort.