EDMONTON — Alberta's Endangered Species Conservation Committee has recommended for the second time in eight years that grizzly bears be listed as a threatened species, but even that designation -- if accepted by the Alberta government -- might not stop them from being hunted, says University of Alberta biologist Mark Boyce.

Boyce, who has studied grizzlies in both the United States and Alberta, says Alberta's Wildlife Act was changed to permit the Sustainable Resource Development minister to authorize a hunt of a threatened species, but he says hunting isn't the biggest threat to grizzlies.

"The most important issues related to the conservation of grizzly bears don't have anything to do with the hunt," he said Monday after the committee's recommendation was revealed. "They're all habitat and industrial development conflicts."

The province suspended the annual spring grizzly hunt in 2006 after the committee first recommended in 2002 that grizzlies be listed as a threatened species, based on estimates that there were fewer than 1,000 in Alberta.

While it didn't act on the recommendation, the government funded DNA-based research to more accurately count grizzly bears and appointed a panel to draft a recovery plan.

Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight said Monday he wasn't surprised the committee has reiterated its recommendation for threatened status since the new count shows fewer than 700 grizzlies and about 360 breeding adults.

"They feel that with the numbers in place -- the relatively low number of mature individuals -- and in certain circumstances higher mortality rates than we would like to see related to human access into habitat, the proper way to move forward is a rescue," he said.

"We, of course, have already started that."

Knight has not ruled out a limited hunt in remote parts of the province where the bears are more plentiful, but says he will take the issue to his caucus.

Boyce says a limited hunt in areas where the grizzly population is healthy isn't a threat to the conservation of the species, but the government needs to start immediately closing road access to core bear habitat. Most grizzlies die within 500 metres of a road.

The minister has promised to make a decision on the fate of grizzlies within the year, but Boyce says there is no excuse for the government to delay that long. "Industry is behind having access management, but it has been the province that's been dragging its feet and so reluctant to do anything," he said. "We could have implementation of a recovery plan two weeks from now, but I won't hold my breath."

Conservation groups are also turning up the heat for the province to start the rescue effort now.

The Alberta Wilderness Association has launched a mock campaign calling for the eradication of grizzlies in an effort to raise awareness about their plight.

Spokesman Nigel Douglas says the ball is in the government's court.

"I don't think anyone is expecting everything will be fixed tomorrow, but the important thing is to start heading in the right direction."

Knight says he hasn't paid much attention to the No More Grizzlies campaign and it won't influence his decision.

"I have a responsibility to Albertans and I think the broader community both in Canada and internationally relative to our commitment to make sure that our biodiversity remains in place," he said. "Most certainly the government of Alberta has every intention of being sure grizzly bears remain part of the landscape in Alberta."

But the Sierra Club's Carl Morrison says Albertans want action now.

"I think Albertans have been really clear that they want the government to act on recovery and I don't think there is need to delay acting on this recommendation any longer," he said. "It's been eight years. Albertans and grizzly bears can't afford any more delays."

Grizzly advocate Jim Pissot says claims by the province that it is already implementing the recovery strategy are false.

He says the province has just approved new forestry plans that have road densities higher than those recommended by the grizzly bear recovery team and the limited access requirements set out in the recovery plan are not being practised.

"I think with the exception of suspending the grizzly bear hunt ... this province has done absolutely nothing to recover grizzly bears, and there is no evidence that they intend to in the future," he said.

But Sustainable Resource Development spokesman Dave Ealey contends the province is actively working to implement the recovery strategy.

"We have identified where the habitat is. We've identified what the thresholds are and we're pursuing finding ways to reduce access to those areas where there are levels of road densities which are seen as a potential problem for bears."