Best Management Practices: Best Management Practices: Grizzly Bears and Forest Grizzly Bears and Forest

Management in Southwest BCManagement in Southwest BC

Draft 1 – January 2008Draft 1 – January 2008

Sue Senger

Tony Hamilton

BackgroundBackground

►Grizzly bears are Blue listedGrizzly bears are Blue listed►Within the Lillooet TSA, all 3 Grizzly Within the Lillooet TSA, all 3 Grizzly

bear population units are listed as bear population units are listed as ThreatenedThreatened

►Recent DNA evidence has led to Recent DNA evidence has led to proposals that will:proposals that will:

►Split S. Chilcotin GBPU into east & westSplit S. Chilcotin GBPU into east & west►Move Stein Nahatlatch GBPU to full recoveryMove Stein Nahatlatch GBPU to full recovery

Key Steps in RecoveryKey Steps in Recovery

Long Term Commitments for:Long Term Commitments for:► Protected Area Management for BearsProtected Area Management for Bears► Landscape Level Forage SupplyLandscape Level Forage Supply► Critical Habitat Protection – THLB Critical Habitat Protection – THLB

allowancesallowances► Access ManagementAccess Management► Bear-Human Conflict MitigationBear-Human Conflict Mitigation

PracticesPractices

►Landscape Level Forage SupplyLandscape Level Forage Supply►Reduced stocking targets on selected site seriesReduced stocking targets on selected site series►CWD managementCWD management

►Critical Habitat ProtectionCritical Habitat Protection►Identification & designation of WHAsIdentification & designation of WHAs

►Access ManagementAccess Management►Spur – activation/deactivationSpur – activation/deactivation►Mainline – multi-stakeholder access planningMainline – multi-stakeholder access planning

Draft 1: Important Spring Draft 1: Important Spring HabitatHabitat

► PEM unitsPEM units AV=Avalanche track, AV=Avalanche track, HM=Herbaceous Meadow HM=Herbaceous Meadow (at Parkland boundary), (at Parkland boundary),

WM=Wet Meadows, WM=Wet Meadows, WS=Wetland-shrub-dominated, WS=Wetland-shrub-dominated, WE=Wetland-Undistinguished open water, sedge & WE=Wetland-Undistinguished open water, sedge &

shrubshrub

Van Horlick –Important Spring Habitats Draft 1Van Horlick –Important Spring Habitats Draft 1

Moving from Important to Moving from Important to CriticalCritical

►Landscape analysis (field & map based)Landscape analysis (field & map based)►Outcome=Class 1 & Class 2 Outcome=Class 1 & Class 2

determinationdetermination

►Conduct site investigations to verify Conduct site investigations to verify class & establish forest bufferclass & establish forest buffer

►Designate as critical, establish WHADesignate as critical, establish WHA

Spring Habitat THLB Overlap by Spring Habitat THLB Overlap by WatershedWatershed

WatershedWatershed Watershed Watershed RankRank

HectaresHectares

TexasTexas 11 485485

KwoiekKwoiek 33 614614

SiskaSiska 44 3030

DuffeyDuffey 99 724724

CayooshCayoosh 1111 329329

Lost ValleyLost Valley 1414 644644

TotalTotal -- 2,8262,826

Field Verification of BufferField Verification of Buffer

So far just modeling on the basis of 50m bufferSo far just modeling on the basis of 50m buffer

NEXT:NEXT:►Walk the habitat boundariesWalk the habitat boundaries►Assess quality & distribution of adjacent Assess quality & distribution of adjacent

security and thermal cover (bear sign?)security and thermal cover (bear sign?)►Buffer provides additional functions: Buffer provides additional functions:

wind, shade, water, snow movement, wind, shade, water, snow movement, etc.etc.

►Layout buffer for site specific objectivesLayout buffer for site specific objectives

Cutblock Field Assessments Cutblock Field Assessments (n=55)(n=55)

► Independent of bear pointsIndependent of bear points►Largely subjective (semi-quantitative)Largely subjective (semi-quantitative)►Data collection includes:Data collection includes:

RoadsRoads Layout (buffering of critical habitat)Layout (buffering of critical habitat) Food productionFood production Site variables – BEC, site series, stocking, Site variables – BEC, site series, stocking,

etc.etc. PhotosPhotos

BearBear CWHCWH ESSFESSF IDFIDF MSMS UNKUNK TotalTotal

F1 48 3 51

F2 8 8

F3 38 38

M1* 1 1

M2* 6 6

Total (2005) 101 3 104

F1 93 93

F3 304 304

M1* 1 28 12 41

M3 2 69 1 7 352 431

M5 116 116

Total (2006) 3 610 1 19 352 985

F1 34 1 35

F8 52 52

F9 35 4 39

M1 17 150 17 55 239

M7 4 6 16 26

Total (2007) 21 277 22 71 391

BearBear YearYear Total # Total # PtsPts

CutblocCutblock (%)k (%)

500m 500m (%)(%)

1 km 1 km (%)(%)

F1F1 20052005 290290 99 4747 5858

20062006 909909 1010 2424 4343

20072007 586586 33 4949 7070

M1M1 20072007 19151915 1212 6161 7272

M4M4 20062006 30653065 2727 4444 5757

20072007 33943394 1515 4848 6565

PracticesPractices

►Landscape Level Forage SupplyLandscape Level Forage Supply►Reduced stocking targets on selected site seriesReduced stocking targets on selected site series►CWD managementCWD management

►Critical Habitat ProtectionCritical Habitat Protection►Identification & designation of WHAsIdentification & designation of WHAs

►Access ManagementAccess Management►Spur – activation/deactivationSpur – activation/deactivation►Mainline – multi-stakeholder access planningMainline – multi-stakeholder access planning

Harvest

Class 1, then protect as

critical habitat

No further bear concerns

No

Not near critical

Near Critical

Maybe

NoYes

When Class 2 is rare,

then protect as critical habitat

Class 2-5, when Class 2 is common

Is Class 2-3 Is Not Class 2-3Landscape

forage deficit?

Roads

Layout

SilvicultureYes No

Stocking No StockingNo Stocking

CWD

Stocking

CWD

Next StepsNext Steps

► Text version of BMPsText version of BMPs► Revised spring habitat map based on Revised spring habitat map based on

feedbackfeedback► Production of multi-season class mapProduction of multi-season class map► Revised version of stocking target tablesRevised version of stocking target tables

Feedback:Feedback:► Clarification of products: number, design, Clarification of products: number, design,

content & format for what audience?content & format for what audience?► Additional? Additional?

► e.g. graphics regarding layout?e.g. graphics regarding layout?