GWM management objectives

Security WHAs are intended to fully protect a patch of critical grizzly bear habitat by maintaining the ecological integrity of the unit and ensuring the security of the bears using the site.

Foraging WHAs are intended to maintain forage, security and thermal cover while allowing some degree of forest development. For example, stands could be managed to maintain mature and old forest structural characteristics (e.g., open canopies, greater amounts of understorey forage, larger trees, coarse woody debris) through extended rotations or appropriate silviculture practices.

Development around security and foraging WHAs should be managed to prevent disruption of natural influences of above- and below-surface drainage, shade, wind and snow movement within the WHA.

General wildlife measure

These measures must be applied within a WHA approved for the species. Security WHA Access Do not construct roads, trails or landings unless the district manager and regional fish and wildlife manager are satisifed there is no other practicable option and the variance is approved by the district manager and regional fish and wildlife manager. Range Do not exceed current authorized livestock use levels. Do not allow for new opportunities (including filling vacancies) for cattle and sheep use. Minimize conflicts (e.g., displacement, direct contact and habitat alteration) between livestock and grizzly bears through management as spelled out in the range use plan for the range agreement area. Management strategies should include, but are not limited to, salt placement, alternate water development, drift fencing, herding or altering periods of livestock use. Range use plans should indicate that any conflicts between grizzly bears and livestock are to be reported to a conservation officer within 24 hours. Silviculture No forestry practices should be carried out with the exception of treatments approved by the district manager and regional fish and wildlife manager to restore or enhance degraded habitat or to ensure windfirmness of buffer. Foraging WHA Access Choose the most appropriate practices for the site that meet the management objectives. Harvest without roading (e.g., skyline, helicopter) during winter, unless there is no other practicable option. Where roads are necessary, provide windfirm visual screening for security (i.e., do not conduct stand tending or vegetation management within visual screen) provided Workers' Compensation Board requirements can be met. Deactivate non-permanent roads after basic silviculture obligations have been met. Range Do not exceed current authorized livestock use levels. Do not allow for new opportunities (including vacancies) for cattle and sheep use. Minimize conflicts (e.g., displacement, direct contact and habitat alteration) between livestock and grizzly bears through management as spelled out in the range use plan for the range agreement area. Management strategies should include, but are not limited to, salt placement, alternate water development, drift fencing, herding or altering periods of livestock use. Range use plans should indicate that any conflicts between grizzly bears and livestock are to be reported to a conservation officer within 24 hours. Silviculture Choose the most appropriate practices for the site that meet the management objectives. Use silvicultural systems other than clearcutting, with carefully considered timing of entries and volume removals set at levels to optimize forage production. Do not use mechanical site preparation unless necessary to regenerate a site or achieve free growing. Avoid hot burns during prescribed fire. Required wildlife tree patches should be located entirely within blocks rather than on the cutblock edge. Wildlife tree patches should be at least 1 ha and be structurally and floristically diverse to provide effective visual screening and escape cover (e.g., climb trees for cubs). Establish pure hardwood or mixed wood stands to maintain forage production for a longer proportion of the rotation than pure softwood. Where vegetation management is required for conifer release, selective methods should be applied. Where vegetation management is required for crop establishment or re-establishment, broadcast methods are acceptable. In either case, manual brushing is preferred over herbicide application. Do not use sheep, domestic goats or cattle for vegetation management purposes. Lower stocking standards and alter normal crop distribution at planting (e.g., Guidelines for Integrating Grizzly Bear Habitat and Silviculture in Coastal British Columbia). Control stand density through juvenile spacing using guidelines agreed upon for the biogeoclimatic zone (e.g., Guidelines for Integrating Coastal Grizzly Bear Habitat and Silviculture in Coastal British Columbia). Control light regimes through pruning prior to canopy closure using guidelines agreed upon for the biogeoclimatic zone.

Management considerations (not mandatory)

Ensure that grizzly bears do not have access to unnatural food sources (garbage) because of the consequent mortality risk.

Landscape unit planning considerations (not mandatory)

These recommendations may only be applied within the chief forester's policy direction for establishing landscape unit biodiversity objectives.

Habitat management for grizzly bears within landscapes should be designed to ensure that: a) adequate amounts of well-distributed, seasonally important habitats are available across the landscape and through time, b) these habitats are not isolated by "fracture zones" of high human activity or extensive areas of ineffective habitat; c) bears are not displaced from preferred habitat; and, d) mortality risks are minimized.