Jumbo grizzlies in more danger than previously thought
No amount of mitigation from resort could make up for bear losses
Wildlife Biologist Dr. Michael Proctor is one of Canada’s foremost grizzly experts. He has pioneered a way to survey bear populations using DNA from hair samples. Just a few strands contain enough genetic material to identify individual bears that visit a ‘hair-snag’ over a period of weeks. The bears are attracted by strong-smelling but non-edible bait: concentrated fish oils and other ‘offal’ stuff.
From his most recent studies, Proctor has concluded that grizzly bears in the Jumbo Valley are critical to a regional anchor subpopulation in the Purcell Range. This group is important to the survival of nearby subpopulations, which are now at risk due to the extensive fragmentation of their habitat.
Losing connectivity
The causes of habitat fragmentation can be summed up in a few words: highways, settlements and developments. In short, human encroachment into wilderness areas fragments grizzly bear habitat, and more human encroachment is what the proposed Jumbo resort development would bring.
“Dr. Proctor’s new research shows that the Purcell grizzlies are in more danger than we previously thought,” said Robyn Duncan, Wildsight’s Purcell program manager. “These bears are extremely important in maintaining the grizzly bear population not only in the Purcell range but along one of North America’s two major north-south corridors.”
Duncan is concerned over the proposed Jumbo Resort’s grizzly mitigation measures. “Mitigation relies on there being other, nearby bear populations that are not at risk themselves. In the case of the Jumbo Valley and the Purcells, alternate strong populations don’t exist anymore.
“The research indicates that the Jumbo resort development would be a blow to grizzlies in the Jumbo Valley and across the Purcell Range. This could threaten transboundary grizzly populations that are under recovery efforts in the United States.”
Duncan noted that Purcell grizzlies use one of only two migration corridors that connect bears into the ‘Lower 48’ states of the U.S.A. “Just 100 years ago, you could find grizzlies as far south as Mexico—they were a symbol of a continental ecosystem in balance, a top predator at home in a rugged wilderness.
“Now, they’re fighting for survival on the fringes of human developments.”
Wildsight and other conservation groups have been opposing a large-scale resort development in the prime grizzly habitat of the upper Jumbo Valley since 1994.
“If the Jumbo resort goes through, grizzlies are going to lose—there’s no question,” Duncan said. “But if you care about grizzlies, you can still tell the government you don’t want resort development in the Jumbo Valley—it’s not too late to ask for what’s right.”
Check out www.KeepItWild.ca for updates on the Jumbo Wild campaign and to take action.
