WHEREAS the provincial government is responsible for managing bears through its Conservation Service, and the BC Conservation Service has not been able to adequately address bear-human conflict in municipalities due to lack of capacity; AND WHEREAS municipalities are unable to appropriately respond to bear-human conflict, as their role is to enact policies that deter wildlife and limit wildlife attractants: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government be requested to provide adequate funding and staffing in order for the BC Conservation Service to be more active and proactive in effectively managing bear-human conflict in communities across BC.
Ministry of Environment The Province recognizes municipalities desire to increase the level of funding to the Conservation Officer Service COS. Government must also take into consideration the overall needs of the entire province. Factors such as service request volume, population growth, increased development on the land base and the overall numbers of Conservation Officers COs in the geographic area are all considered when staff deployments are assessed. The COS will continue to maintain its current level of service delivery through officers working in the larger geographic area, as well as collaborative initiatives with other law enforcement agencies. The COS will continue to emphasize wildlife-human conflict prevention through proactive programs. COs will respond to wildlife conflicts, and most often remove animals, when the conflict poses a public safety risk or results in significant property damage. Translocation of animals is rarely supported due to concerns for animal welfare, disease transmission and genetic dilution. The provincial government is committed to reducing conflicts between wildlife and humans as part of its strategic goal of maintaining safe, healthy communities and a sustainable environment. Through its program of proactive outreach, education and partnerships the COS is providing alternatives that are more effective, cost less and result in destruction of fewer animals. The Bear Smart Community Program is a voluntary, preventative conservation program that encourages communities, businesses and individuals to work together to address the root causes of human-bear conflicts, thereby reducing the risks to human safety and private property, as well as the number of bears that have to be destroyed each year. Bear Aware is an education program focused on reducing human-bear conflict in residential neighbourhoods through education, innovation and cooperation. The Bear Aware program provides a consistent educational package to those communities that wish to pursue Bear Smart status. This ensures that communities do not have to re-invent the wheel when implementing an education program and the content follows government standards. Bear Aware Education has proven to be an effective tool to decrease conflicts and an integral component of the Ministrys Bear Smart Community Program. Bear Aware is administered by the BC Conservation Foundation BCCF. Funding for Bear Aware has been provided in the amount of 357,000 from 201011 to 201112 and a further 225,000 for 201213. This funding allows Bear Aware to support approximately 40 communities in British Columbia BC in their efforts to reduce human-bear conflicts this season. The program will provide increased public awareness regarding the biology and ecology of bears, the effective management of bear attractants and the risks faced, by both people and bears, when bears are attracted into towns to forage for food. An active Bear Aware program will promote the continued reduction of attractants available to bears within BC communities and a continued trend in the reduction of the number of bears destroyed due to conflict with humans in residential and recreational areas of the province. Over 20 communities in BC are actively pursuing Bear Smart and four communities, Kamloops, Squamish, Lions Bay and Whistler have successfully attained official Bear Smart status. Also, recent amendments to the Wildlife Act give COs the ability to take enforcement action, issue tickets 230 fine or appearance notices for a court appearance up to 50,000 andor up to 6 months imprisonment to deal with people who repeatedly and negligently fail to secure attractants. The new enforcement tools complement existing tools and are expected to reduce the number of animals that become conditioned to negligently managed attractants, leading to increased public safety. In communities where bylaws do not exist, or where local enforcement officers who enforce municipal bylaws have not been able to successfully resolve attractant issues, COs may intervene and enforce the legislation under the Wildlife Act. Local governments would not be expected to change their existing garbagesolid waste services or bylaws to accommodate the changes e.g., by requiring all garbage to be placed in certain types of containers or only at certain times etc..