Hazard/Conflict Assessments

An important early step in any Bear Smart effort is to figure out exactly what and where the problems are and why they are occurring. Conducting a preliminary bear hazard assessment (also called a conflict or community assessment) will provide a general but community-specific overview of human-bear conflicts in and adjacent to the defined community.

While the components of an assessment should be similar across communities, each assessment itself will look different. Some assessments may include multiple pages with maps and references, while others may only be a few pages long. (Note that communities in British Columbia that will submit their assessment as a part of the province’s Bear Smart Community certification process should be sure to follow established requirements.) The most important thing is that the information is holistic yet includes details to guide a community as they work to understand and address conflict risks, such as:

  • Goals and objectives: States the goals and specific objectives of the assessment

  • Methods: Describes the approach to gathering the pertinent information

  • Community description: Details the geographic, demographic, and ecological context

  • Bear presence: Documents local bear species, presence, and seasonal movements

  • Habitat and wildlife corridors: Identifies suitable bear habitat and bear travel routes

  • History of human-bear interactions: Reviews past conflicts, sightings, and management actions

  • Attractants: Documents natural and non-natural food sources that may draw bears to the community

  • Education and outreach efforts: Evaluates community awareness and existing bear education and outreach programs

  • Solid waste management: Examines waste disposal vendors, processes, and practices

  • Growth and development: Reports land use, growth, and impacts on bear movement

  • Laws and regulations: Reviews any regulations relating to living with bears or human-bear conflicts

  • Community attitudes: Records public perceptions, concerns, and involvement in reducing human-bear conflicts

  • Conclusions, Recommendations, Next steps: Preliminary thoughts about what to do once the assessment is completed

  • Maps: Attachments included or referenced in the assessment

  • Contacts: Provide lead contacts for the assessment work

For more information on conducting an assessment, particularly if you are located in Canada, refer to sections 6 and 7 in B.C.’s Bear Smart Community Program Background Report.

For U.S. practitioners or community members, we created an abridged version of the assessment information provided by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, and added some information as well (thanks to the IGBC for its Bear Smart Community Framework). This guide, and a template, can be used and adapted for any community assessment.