Bulkley Valley Research Centre - Science in the Public Interest

Grizzly Bear Population

Project Reference Number: 2016-04

Project Status: Multi-year/Continuing

Led by: Don Morgan, Bulkley Valley Research Centre and BC Ministry of Environment, Smithers, BC

Funder: Ministry of Environment

Grizzly Bears are listed federally as a species of special concern and provincially ranked as vulnerable. Of the 56 grizzly bear population units in British Columbia, 9 are considered threatened. The Grizzly Bear is a priority species for the Provincial Values Foundation and Cumulative Effects projects. This project will engage government and non-government grizzly bear scientists and organizations in developing Grizzly Bear sub-population viability ranking methodologies, with a focus on the NatureServe viability calculator and methods for analyzing population isolation.

Expected results are a more rigorous set of methods for determining the status of Grizzly Bears. The status assessment will involve coordinating the state and trend of Grizzly Bear sub-populations in BC within Grizzly Bear Population Units (GBPU), integrating threats identified in the Province’s Grizzly Bear value assessment, and quantifying the degree of isolation.