10 Ways You can be Bear Aware in BC this Fall

Photo: A.S Wright

You have probably heard about hibernation, but what is hyperphagia? This term means intense eating, and is a phase that bears go through in the fall to increase their body weight and prepare for winter denning. Bears need to increase their body weight by approximately 30% in order to have enough energy stores to survive winter denning.

As the fall progresses bears may move to lower elevations where there is still lush greenery to snack on. These lower elevations are where many of our communities in BC lay, which means an increased chance of conflicts with bears this time of year.

This year, with severe drought and fires, bears may have an extra hard time finding food. Conservation Officers are warning that bears could be displaced by fires, and that attractants, like garbage, could further increase the potential for conflicts. 

Bears have an excellent sense of smell which they use to guide them to food sources. This can also lead them straight into towns if attractants are present. Access to unnatural food sources like garbage, domestic fruit trees and even bird seed can lead to bears becoming food conditioned and/or habituated to humans. This can result in unsafe situations for both bears and people. 

People have an important role to play as wildlife stewards. You can help keep bears safe and your neighbourhood free from bear conflicts by practising attractant management. Our friends from WildSafeBC have a Top 10 List you can use to keep bears wild and your community safe!

WildSafeBC’s Top 10 Tips:

1. Keep your garbage secure – store it indoors, in a secure shed, or in a bear-resistant enclosure.
2. Only put your garbage/yard waste/recyclables out on collection day – never the night before.
3. Manage your fruit trees so that fruit is picked as it ripens, and no windfall accumulates.
4. Bring bird feeders in from April through November – and when they are out, ensure that the ground underneath is kept free of seeds.
5. Feed pets indoors.
6. Maintain your compost so that it doesn’t smell. Add fruit slowly. Never add meat or dairy.
7. Protect fruit trees, beehives and small livestock with properly installed & maintained electric fence.
8. Respect wild animals by not feeding them. Food-conditioned wildlife are more likely to come into conflict.
9. Keep barbecues clean and odour free.
10. Report any wildlife in conflict or bear, cougar, coyote or wolf sightings in the community to the Conservation Officer Service 24/7 at 1-877-952-7277.

Most encounters can be prevented by:

• making noise
• travelling in groups
• keeping pets on a leash, and;
• avoiding areas where there are signs of recent wildlife activity such as scat.

 If you do encounter a bear, stop, try to stay calm and do not run! 

• Back away slowly from the bear and talk to it in a calm, firm voice to signal that you are not a threat, nor a typical animal they would prey on. 
• Be sure to have bear spray accessible, like carried on a hip holster, and know how to use it. Bear spray is a low-cost and lightweight option to stop a bear attack.
• In the unlikely event a bear charges or is exhibiting stalking behaviour, stand your ground and use your bear spray.

Wildlife in BC’s Parks

Wildlife stewardship starts with managing attractants around your home, and extends into responsible recreation when you visit parks and natural areas. Always be prepared for wildlife encounters, carry bear spray, and be sure to give wildlife plenty of space. 

One of the best ways we can support bear conservation is by protecting their habitat. Bears require large and connected habitats to thrive.

Large natural areas allow bears to meet all their seasonal food requirements. In the spring they need protein rich green shoots that first appear at lower elevations, to help build back muscle after winter denning. In the summer, they need berry rich slopes and meadows. And in the fall, salmon bearing streams offer a critical food source so bears can build up their winter fat stores.

Bears bring the salmon into the forest to eat, where the remains decompose and provide essential soil nutrients that help the trees grow. This helps make bears a keystone species, as they have a major role in healthy BC ecosystems. 

Protecting habitat for bears is important to ensure they have enough sources of nutritious food, and reduces their risk of conflict in urban spaces. The goal to protect 30% of land in BC by 2030, will be important for bear conservation and ensuring healthy, functioning ecosystems in BC.

Sadly, a dead grizzly, killed illegally, was found recently in the Squamish River. Conservation Officers are asking for information about this incident, which can be reported to the RAPP line: 1-877-952-7277. Wildlife conflicts or people feeding bears can also be reported to this number.

The Day-Use Pass Program is returning to some of BC’s provincial parks including Golden Ears, Joffre Lakes, and Garibaldi Provincial Parks this season to reduce vehicle lineups, parking pressures, and overcrowded trails. 

BC’s provincial parks are a haven for wildlife and millions of outdoor enthusiasts across the province. They provide opportunities for us to explore, spend time with family outdoors, and connect with Nature.The growing use and enjoyment of BC’s Parks is incredible. An increase in demand for park services comes with increased pressures on wildlife, natural areas, park staff, and recreation infrastructure. 

The Day-Use Pass Program is one tool in a suite of solutions that can help manage and plan for high levels of visitation as parks struggle to keep up with visitor demand. 

This article aims to shed light on the growing pressures BC’s provincial parks are facing and the need to manage visitation and support sustainable levels of recreation so parks can continue to support Nature and people for generations to come. 

Why is a Day-Use Pass Required? 

Their close proximity to Metro Vancouver and stunning vistas have made Golden Ears, Joffre Lakes, and Garibaldi Provincial Parks three of the most popular provincial parks in BC. These parks are seeing visitation skyrocket as more and more people get outside for adventure and to connect with the lands and waters that make BC unique. Between 2012 and 2018, park visitation to these three parks grew by 75%.

From overcrowded trails to packed parking lots and cars lined up along the highway, the evidence of the rising interest and limited management capacity in provincial parks is difficult to miss. 

The surge in visitation is challenging BC Parks’ mission to balance safe outdoor recreation with the protection of natural environments. Rising visitation is overwhelming park infrastructure and natural areas in many popular parks, leading to diminished visitor experiences, visitor safety concerns, and impacts on Nature that parks were created to protect. BC Parks staff are seeing impacts such as improper disposal of human waste and garbage, and damage to sensitive areas like alpine environments.

Overcrowding can lead to people wandering off trails, which can cause trail braiding (when multiple paths split off and rejoin the main trail), erosion, and trampled vegetation. This impacts the long-term health of the forests and wildlife in parks.

Underlying Issues

BC Parks has been starved of funds for decades. Years of chronic underfunding have:

• Created a backlog in the upkeep of recreation infrastructure like boardwalks and trails;
• Stalled the development of management plans, limiting the development of recreation opportunities in parks; and
• Restricted the establishment of new parks, trails, and infrastructure such as toilets and campsites to meet the rising demand of park visitors who love to get outside. 

Recent injections of funds into the BC Parks system are welcomed, and BC Parks is now in a state of playing catch-up while facing sustained demand.

The Role of the Day-Use Pass Program

Park agencies worldwide are looking to visitor-use management as park visitation soars. The US National Park Service implemented a day-use management tool in 2020 to reduce overcrowding and protect Nature in several popular parks, including Arches and Glacier National Parks.

The planning, expansion, and construction of new facilities and trails take time, consultation, and careful consideration. As BC Parks continues to play catch-up and work to improve trails, upgrade infrastructure, and build more campsites, the Day-Use Pass Program helps reduce the impacts of recreation on Nature while also improving visitor safety and the park experience by reducing overcrowded trails, roads and parking lots.

The Day-Use Pass Program should be complemented with other tools to support the growing demand for parks and recreation. This includes increasing transit access to parks to alleviate parking pressure and investing in recreation planning and park expansion near city centres.

A Vision for the Future

The growing popularity of BC Parks and the rising loss of wildlife signal a need for continued investment in conservation and BC’s provincial parks to: 

• Expand parks, both in size and recreation infrastructure, to keep up with visitor demand, relieve pressure off of existing trails and infrastructure, and protect habitat for endangered wildlife;
• Increase park ranger staff to maintain infrastructure and enforce rules that keep visitors and wildlife safe;
• Modify trail infrastructure and design to protect vegetation (e.g. installing boardwalks); 
• Improve visitor education to mitigate impacts on wildlife and sensitive natural areas; and
• Support BC Parks’ dual mandate to provide high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities and protect diverse natural environments for world-class conservation.

Increased funding for trail maintenance and upgrades would help protect sensitive plant and animal habitats like this sub-alpine meadow in Manning Provincial Park.

Parks and protected areas are a fundamental part of our health care system, they provide many opportunities to get outside and connect with Nature, from canoeing to horseback riding to multi-day hiking adventures. They are also a critical ally in our fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Increased, sustained funding will not only support people getting outside to connect with Nature, it will also support BC’s commitment to safeguard biodiversity by protecting 30% of lands by 2030. 

Take action to increase funding for BC’s provincial parks

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