EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This bear hazard assessment (BHA) was undertaken as one component of the initiative by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) to achieve official status as a "Bear Smart Community" under criteria established by the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (MWLAP). The aim of any bear riskmanagement project is to minimize human-bear conflicts and the associated risk of injury or fatality to humans. It is important to note, however, that when dealing with bears, risk can be mitigated but never
eliminated.

This study is preliminary and based on short-term field research conducted in 2003. To identify higher risk areas, the study examined data from:

• bear habitat surveys in the RMOW,
• local bear ecology information,
• information on bear travel corridors,
• a review of human-bear conflict/complaint data,
• bear hazard studies conducted in similar areas,
• a regional profile of injurious encounters,
• interviews and workshops with Whistler Bear Working Group (BWG) and
• two case studies on bear management in areas similar to Whistler.

In order to enhance and improve the hazard information and help with future hazard abatement, more bear research suitable for an ecosystem-based approach is needed. The Whistler Black Bear Project's (WBBPMichael Allen) studies should be published and the human-bear conflict research program proposed by the BWG should be implemented.

The focus of this hazard study was on the black bear (Ursus americanus), although the grizzly (Ursus arctos), which occurs in the region in very scant numbers, could become of concern. Ecosystem context is also important; the RMOW was found to have a high overlap of human use/development with occupied black bear habitats and potential grizzly bear habitats. The RMOW adjoins a large provincial park where bear preservation is a defined objective. Because of the community's relatively large footprint (16,500 ha), it has a larger area of interface and intermix of human development and suitable black bear habitat. Black bear use was evident in all developed areas surveyed and the bear population appears healthy. Ample green spaces and semi-timbered subdivisions, native and non-natural vegetative bear foods and accessible human food attractants enhance black bear use in developed areas.

As a result of proactive measures by the RMOW and the community since 1996, Whistler now has one of the most progressive and successful human-bear conflict prevention plans in the province (outside of national parks). "Problem bear" (note: it is people who are usually at the root of the problem, not the bears) mortality has been reduced to 1-6 per year from an average of 20 per year in the past. The key to this success has been interagency and community co-operation, intensive public education and widespread bear proofing of garbage receptacles and containment sites. Negative conditioning and other non-lethal approaches to bear management are being applied experimentally. Leading support groups have been Sylvia Dolson's Whistler Bear Society and Michael Allen's Whistler Black Bear Project. In spite of the commendable work that has already been done, the author has identified a number of significant public safety issues in the RMOW that need to be addressed proactively:

While Whistler has one of the most intensive public education programs on bears in all of western Canada, not all visitors are aware that they could encounter a black bear in any area of the RMOW. This is a concern from a liability perspective. Ample warning signage can help mitigate attempted lawsuits.

While significant strides have been made in the management of human foodstuffs and garbage,
black bears still have considerable access to artificial attractants.

• Bears still manage to obtain garbage from inside and outside the fence at the Whistler
• Landfill, in spite of it having been surrounded with two successive electric fence installations for the past 9 years.
• Since there is no centralized garbage-pick-up system in the municipality, residents who do not have a vehicle have difficulty in taking garbage to one of the two compactor/recycling depots.
• Bears continue to be successful in obtaining food attractants from residences, construction bins, ski hill waste receptacles, camping areas and other sites and
• Hand-feeding still appears to be a problem.
• Two schoolyards and 7 children's play set areas that are adjacent to habitat used by bears are not fenced.

• The bike park on Whistler Mountain presents a high risk for bear encounters/collisions as riders hurtle through bear habitat at high speed.
• Developments including new RMOW trails occur without an assessment of impacts on bears or concerns about hazards.
• Some bears are attracted to residential and pedestrian Village areas by artificially planted bear foods.

While the recent low number of killed and relocated bears is encouraging, in 2003 56% of all 206 bear calls were related to garbage and other attractants while 16.5% of the calls involved a bear entering or attempting to enter a person's house or vehicle. These are problems that could be lessened by implementing a policy of zero tolerance of food-garbage infractions. Non-lethal treatment of some bears in complaint situations is commendable, but lacks consistency and monitoring. Under the circumstances, it is surprising that there has never been an injurious human-bear encounter in the RMOW. Even though most encounters are non-threatening and very rarely lead to harm, injury or fatality is possible under the current conditions. Incidents involving black bears injuring people have occurred recently in adjacent areas (Squamish and Pemberton). Of the six most serious categories of potential human-bear encounters, half would be of very minor concern in the RMOW since they relate to grizzly bears, which are nearly extinct here. With respect to black bears, of the three potentially lifethreatening categories, a predaceous attack would be the most likely to be fatal. In the other two categories - food/garbage-associated attacks and a chance encounter with a defensive mother black bear - injuries tend to be minor.

In general, a low level of bear hazard exists throughout the RMOW because human developments overlap with generally low-quality black bear habitats. The risk is increased in these areas, however, by the availability of non-natural food attractants such as garbage, bird-feeders and people deliberately feeding bears. A somewhat higher hazard also exists where more concentrated black bear foods occur seasonally, such as at some of the golf courses in the spring, the Valley Trail, the Whistler Secondary School, the Edgewater Lodge and Outdoor Centre and most of the children's play set areas.

The highest risk sites identified for a rare-but-possible predaceous bear incident are:

1. the green space bear habitats in the Village and other areas used by itinerant workers and transients for camping,
2. the playing field and access trail at the Whistler Secondary School and the playground at the back of the Myrtle Philip Community School,
3. municipal play areas for children, especially those beside bear habitat/travel areas including Market Place, Balsam Park, Alpha Lake Park, Emerald Park, Meadow Park, White Gold Estates near Lost Lake entrance and the playground at Cheakamus Way (Bayshores) and
4. the Riverside Resort and Campground.

There is some evidence that children may be more vulnerable to predaceous black bear attacks than adults. Cougars and coyotes would also be a concern at some of these sites. Therefore better protection of children's play areas should be a priority. The Whistler mountain bike "park" trail system and proposed expansion presents a high-risk situation where there is the potential for a defensive mother black bear launching an injurious attack on a biker in the event of a collision between a mountain biker and a bear cub. Several bear-biker collisions have already occurred. The bike park also presents a general hazard of injury to bears and other wildlife.

The highest priority recommendations include:

• Develop a more consistent approach to public safety by creating/supporting a dedicated officer and trained bear specialist to coordinate the non-lethal bear management and other programs. This should be the highest priority.
• Carry out the following important bear hazard abatement measures:
• As a top priority, based on the risk of a possible predaceous attack, bear-proof the higher risk children's play areas, including play sets in 7 municipal parks and playgrounds at 2 schools, by installing bear-proof fencing or relocating some play set areas away from close proximity to bear habitats/dense cover.
• Develop means to reduce the potential for collisions between mountain bikers and bears and other wildlife on the Whistler Bike Park downhill trails.
• Eliminate illegal camping and the attendant proliferation of food/garbage attractants in green space areas e.g. by developing a proper campground for itinerant workers.
• Make further significant improvements in controlling the storage and disposal of human food and garbage. Adopt a policy of zero tolerance since there is strong evidence that food-conditioned black bears can cause human injury: Priority recommendations include:
• Adopt a strict Zero Tolerance policy towards all food and garbage containment infractions as has been done by the town of Canmore and Alberta Parks (in Bow Valley Park and Kananaskis Country). This means much more ticketing of infractions and prosecution of the more serious violations such as deliberate feeding of black bears, coyotes and other wildlife.
• If the landfill is not replaced soon with a transfer station, the 9-year problem of bears accessing garbage through the electric fence needs to be fully rectified. This should include preparation of an electric fence maintenance schedule and hiring of an independent inspector to do twice weekly surveys with an agreement that any problems will be immediately rectified. The remainder of the landfill also needs to be bear-proofed including the truck washing station and construction bins drop-off. Total diligence is important.
• Fully bear-proof the new proposed transfer station when constructed. The drop-off bins should be in a cleared area at least 100 m wide from the adjacent trees and cover. The ground cover should be comprised of vegetation that will not attract bears.
• Replace the current residential garbage drop-off system with neighbourhood communal waste containers (as was done by the town of Canmore, Alta.) or, alternatively, adopt a specialized garbage pick-up service with a call-in number if this proves successful.
• Assign a responsible person to independently inspect all bear-proof containers in RMOW on at least a monthly basis during the active bear season and ensure that dysfunctional lids and latches and any other problems are repaired immediately. This should include the waste bins at the ski hill stations.
• Improve the public communication system in an attempt to ensure that all new visitors and residents are made aware that bears occur throughout the RMOW, including in the downtown shopping area, residential areas, playgrounds, parks, trail systems and other sites.

Other recommendations of lower priority that should be implemented in the medium-term include:

• Install bear warning signs at playgrounds, trails, ski hill, bike park and elsewhere. Be prepared to implement temporary closures for certain bear areas/situations including the potential for a mother grizzly with young frequenting an area with human use.

• Ensure that future municipal planning incorporates a greater consideration of the cumulative infringement on bear habitats by new developments including subdivisions, highway improvements, RMOW trails, Whistler/Blackcomb mountain bike trails and other facilities. Design new human-use areas and developments so they don't have cul-de-sacs that bulge into bear habitats.

• Reduce non-native shrub and trees that produce berries that attract bears to developed areas by removing existing stock. Pass a by-law prohibiting the planting of landscaping shrub and tree species that are bear foods. It may, however, be useful to consider areas where artificially manipulating vegetative foods might be used to deliberately keep bears away from human use areas such as on the adjacent mountain slopes.

• Support Whistler/Blackcomb's bear habitat improvement programs on the ski hills provided this does not lead to greater human-bear/wildlife conflicts like the new bike park trail network. Whistler/Blackcomb planning, as it affects bears, should be more closely coordinated with an overall management strategy for the RMOW.

• Continue with the public education program by the WBS to educate workers at construction sites not to dispose of human food waste in the construction/demolition bins.

• Develop the proposed bear-proof community compost system.
• Remove the one non-bear-proof canister from the Whistler Secondary School.
• Improve controls so that bears cannot access bird-feeders or the landfill in the winter.

• Increase patrols of green spaces to prevent garbage accumulation and itinerant campers from feeding bears.

• Maintain cautious management at the Riverside Resort and Campground, including replacement of food-hanging system with metal storage lockers and non-bear-proof containers on mini-golf course.

• Upgrade the Whistler human-bear conflict prevention plan beyond Bear Smart standards to the level of similar B.C. Provincial and National Park plans for backcountry and frontcountry. The results of the preliminary bear hazard study for the RMOW should be incorporated into the revised plan.

• Continue to support bear research programs including the proposed study of non-lethal bear management approaches, DNA research by the WBBP and graduate students, and ongoing mapping of bear habitats in the entire RMOW. Research programs should be expanded to better determine the importance of low elevation bear habitats, annual diet of bears and other aspects. All research programs funded by the RMOW should be required to produce final reports in a timely fashion that are made available for management, public education and other purposes. The cumulative 10-year backlog of scientifically unpublished research by Mr. Allen of the WBBP should be completed in final report form in 2004.

• Identify important highway and railway crossing sites for bears and other wildlife and encourage research on means to reduce mortalities including further reducing speed limits.

• Continue to support the bear public education program and, from a liability viewpoint, attempt to ensure that each and every visitor is made aware that bears can be encountered anywhere in the area, including the pedestrian Village. This might be partly accomplished by a sign at the entrance to Whistler to the north and south. A liability expert should be consulted in this regard.

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