Now that a federal government report has confirmed Alberta to be the front line in the battle for the grizzly bear’s survival, environmentalists are urging the Alberta government to list grizzlies as a threatened species.
“What we are shooting for is that it will trigger some government action, like a budget dedicated for a recovery team which was disbanded and some action on habitat,” says Carl Morrison of Sierra Club Canada.
A recent report from Environment Canada has revealed grizzlies will unlikely ever return to their native prairie habitats and protective habitat is needed to increase populations.
“To increase the likelihood of persistent grizzly bear populations in Canada, management and conservation activities need to target the habitats best suited to grizzly bear survival,” says the report. “Grizzly bears require productive habitats with few people, minimal motorized access, secure cover (e.g., forest), and adequate food resources.”
The report points out that a century ago, grizzlies roamed throughout the prairies, including Alberta’s Cypress Hills. Now, the most eastern grizzly habitat in Alberta is in the foothills west of Calgary. Recent studies indicate there are about 500 grizzlies roaming Alberta, compared to 700 to 1,000 seven years ago.
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