Human-Bear Conflict Management Plans
Once you have an involved group of people who want to reduce human-bear conflicts and you understand what those conflicts are alongside other community dynamics, it’s time to make a plan to reduce conflicts.
Human-bear conflict management plans should be developed based on the information gathered in community-specific bear hazard/conflict assessments. A Bear Smart committee or working group should implement the plan.
Communities outside of B.C. can use the IGBC framework for guidance on what to include in a plan, and the B.C program offers additional information. If in B.C., the plan should include all of the information necessary to satisfy the criteria for a Bear Smart community as laid out in B.C.’s Bear Smart Community Program Background Report. This includes sections on how agencies and organizations will cooperate, who will pay for and be responsible for implementing which parts of the plan, and how to develop and implement an education program, an effective bear-proof solid waste management system, and accompanying Bear Smart bylaws. Monitoring the effectiveness of the plan, measuring success, and communicating results to the public are also important aspects of any human-bear conflict management plan.
Community and political support is as important as the content of your human-bear management plan. To be effective, it must enjoy the full support and authorization of the governments and agencies that ultimately are responsible for wildlife management, human safety and community development. The appropriate politicians (the local mayor and council, for instance) and department heads (municipal planners and regional wildlife managers) should be involved in deciding which strategies will be implemented, taking into account social, liability and economic considerations. Convening a Bear Smart committee is a great way to ensure that all stakeholders communicate and collaborate effectively as programs are implemented.
For more information and a detailed outline, please refer to section 8 in B.C.’s Bear Smart Community Program Background Report, or section 3 of the IGBC’s manual.
Similar to conflict assessments, community plans look different for each area depending on their needs and resources. Here are a few examples:
More resources for developing management plans
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Education
Raising awareness and changing people's behaviour is a fundamental part of keeping people and bears safe in your community. It’s also a fundamental part of a conflict management plan.
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Bylaws and ordinances
Bylaws are a necessary element to any successful human-wildlife management plan as a way to prohibit the supply of unnatural foods to wildlife.
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Mitigating wildlife-vehicle collisions
Beyond attractant-based conflicts, reducing vehicle collisions with bears is not only important for wildlife, but also public safety.
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Community planning documents
Once your community has finalized and adopted a human-bear conflict management plan, it’s time to make sure community planning and decision-making documents are updated to be consistent with the plan.