Stephanie du Coudray APEC480 Professor Mackenzie 12/06/12 Final Project Endangered Species: Grizzly Bear

Background Throughout history mankind has continuously altered the natural pristine environment for developmental purposes, recreational purposes, agricultural purposes and many other reasons. This human-induced alteration of the natural environment brings with it many negative consequences. Many species have become extinct or endangered due to mans selfish actions. In my research project I will be focusing on the Grizzly Bear, which has been classified as an endangered species. Throughout the years man has encroached on the Grizzly Bears habitat due to the cutting down of forests for timber resources or for developmental purposes. Additionally, man has aided in the significant decrease in Grizzly Bear numbers due to our recreational hunting of these animals, which has long been unregulated. Additionally, there has been a great deal of stress placed on the grizzly bear population due to the global warming phenomena, this is because with increases in temperatures grizzly bears must search for new food sources and new homes. According to the National Wildlife Federation, Grizzly bears are large and range in color from very light tan (almost white) to dark brown. They have a dished face, short, rounded ears and a large shoulder hump The hump is where a mass of muscles attach to the bears

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backbone and give the bear additional strength for digging. They have very long claws on their front feet that also give them extra ability to dig after food and to dig their dens. Grizzly Bears are omnivores and feed on vegetation as well as fish, particularly salmon. During the warm months of the year these bears eat as much food as they can gather so that during the winter months they can hibernate. In the past there were numerous grizzly bears roaming the United States, according to Conservation Northwest, before Europeans arrived, some 50,000 to 100,000 grizzly bears lived in the lower 48 states. However over the last 100 years, after European settlement and industrialization this number has drastically decreased and, grizzly bears have been eliminated from 98% of their original range in the contiguous United States. The geographical distribution has also been reduced dramatically over the last 100 years, according to Conservation Northwest, Grizzly bears now survive largely in remote wilderness areas, living on less than 2% of their former range and numbering approximately 1,100 bears. The Grizzly bear population can be found in the remote areas of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington. !

Figure 1: Grizzly Bear Population in North America ! #!

After many years of careless human activity, the seriousness of this problem has been acknowledged. This species is now protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the purpose of the Endangered Species Act is to, protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. In 1975, the grizzly bear was listed as a threatened species in the lower 48 states under the Endangered Species Act. According to the ESA a threatened species which can be defined as a species that is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future, where as an endangered species is a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. This problem is definitely worth researching. This is because it is important to preserve all communities and habitat on the earth as each organism plays an important function in the functioning of the ecosystem. The spatial context of the problem makes it very suitable for research using GIS. This is because historically the spatial distribution has been reduced drastically, however due to conservation efforts the small range of grizzly bears presently may be rising very slowly and steadily thereby reversing the negative effects on the grizzly bear population, and hopefully in the future allowing the grizzly bear population to be removed from the list of threatened species.

Literature Review The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee has been a vital player in the conservation efforts of the Grizzly Bear population. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee has been dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Grizzly Bear population. The IGBC had the responsibility of identifying historic grizzly bear habitat for recovering grizzly bears in the

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lower 48 states. This Committee was formed to protect the Grizzly Bears in the area referred to as the Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone which includes protected ecosystems. These protected ecosystems include the Yellowstone ecosystem, Northern Continental Divide ecosystem, Selway-Bitteroot ecosystem, Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem, Selkirk ecosystem, and Northern Cascades ecosystem. !

Figure 2: Protected Ecosystems

This agency brings about a great deal of awareness in the local communities about the importance of Grizzly Bear protection. Additionally this agency brings the problem of the grizzly bear decline to the national arena through the continuous supply of studies and recommendations on a national level. The IGBC includes representatives from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, US Geological Survey, state fish and wildlife departments, and the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection. ! %!

Most studies and research on the Grizzly Bear population is aimed on mapping the habitat of the grizzly bears as well as providing accurate numbers of the grizzly bear population. An Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team has also been formed, this team is made up of a number of scientists and biologists who are committed to researching and monitoring conservation efforts on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone area. IGBST members are representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game Department, and the States of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team annually measures the grizzly bear population and the ecological components of their habitats in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Some of their research includes: The Use of Global Positioning System technology to identify grizzly bear movements and habitat use, Identification and mapping of grizzly bear denning habitat, mapping current distribution of grizzly bears in the GYE, and habitat use and overlap between black and grizzly bears in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The Trans-border Grizzly Bear Project studies grizzly bear populations in the trans-border south Selkirk and Purcell/Yahk sub populations

Hypothesis Using GIS systems the habitat that is most suitable and exhibits the most favorable characteristics for grizzly bear reintroduction or expansion can be identified. Additionally, using GIS the areas in which grizzly bear populations are largest can also be identified so that protection and conservation methods can be improved at these areas. Therefore the specific questions that will be answered will include:

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Where are the optimal locations for grizzly bear expansion or reintroduction? What areas are grizzly bear populations the largest? Which areas are grizzly bear populations the smallest? How can current grizzly bear habitats be optimized so that the greatest survival rate is possible?

Data The data that will be needed includes: Grizzly bear habitat characteristics Grizzly bear population numbers Current grizzly bear habitats Previous grizzly bear habitats Previous grizzly bear population numbers Information about events that led to the decline in the grizzly bear population Changes in the grizzly bear habitat over time

There exists a great deal of data on the grizzly bear population numbers both currently and in the past, there also exists data defining the areas which were once inhabited by the grizzly bear population as well as the areas that are currently inhabited. Lastly, there also exists information describing the characteristics of the grizzly bear habitat. Therefore, I can use this information to infer the best possible locations for grizzly bear expansion and reintroduction.

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However, data that will need to be collected would include up to date land surveys so as to determine what land is available to be put aside or protected for reintroduction or expansion purposes. Using raster calculators will be very beneficial in determining which land is optimal for grizzly bear habitats. This is because a number of factors must go into consideration, such as land use, population density, climate, among many other factors.

Methods Firstly, I will complete extensive research on current grizzly bear population numbers, habitat, and areas which are optimal for grizzly bear reintroduction or expansion. I will utilize very important GIS tools in order to find the optimal areas in which the grizzly bear population will thrive. Achieving this objective will be somewhat similar to what was done in project 2: Terrain and Habitat Analysis. Firslty I will define the specific criteria needed for optimal grizzly bear population. I will then use Spatial Analysis Tools, such as Raster calculators and Euclidean Distance, to map each of the criteria which may include factors such as, distance from primary roads, and secondary roads. After each individual criteria is mapped I will then map areas that satisfy all of the criteria. Therefore, the optimal location where grizzly bear populations will thrive will meet all of the specified criteria. After this is done I will determine which optimal location in feasible for grizzly bear reintroduction or expansion, this will depend on factors such as proximity to current grizzly bear habitats, proximity to developed areas, and many more. Additionally the terrain of the land must be taken into consideration as grizzly bears need mountainous regions so that they can find comfortable caves in which they can

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hibernate. Therefore, I will use Spatial Analysts Surface Area Tools, such as Slope and Contour, to create maps which contain or are near to areas with higher elevations. One main weakness of all of the tools mentioned above is that it does not take into consideration which areas are more feasible than others due to external factors, therefore this must be determined upon further analysis of the results. However, there are many strengths associated with using these tools, firstly and most importantly, using these tools allows for a visualization of the current problem and any potential solutions. This is very beneficial as it allows the user to process the data more easily as it is displayed in a map format, therefore resulting in better results.

Anticipated Results I can anticipate that there will be numerous land areas relatively close to the existing protected ecosystems where the grizzly bear habitat can be easily expanded. However, there may be many small and isolated pockets of land where small grizzly bear populations can be introduced into, however the feasibility of this must be studied further. Furthermore, using GIS and all of the research collected I believe that optimal areas can be used more efficiently and monitored more closely so as to guarantee the growth of grizzly bear populations over time. This information can be accessible to all persons, especially members of the communities where these areas may be established, therefore this information can be vital in encouraging community members to

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care for the grizzly bear population more and to do everything in their power to provide the best possible outcome.

Policy Applications Through my research proposal many communities that were once not aware of their vital role in ensuring that grizzly bear populations thrive may become more knowledgeable. With that knowledge members of the community can support local policies geared towards the monitoring, restoration and protection of grizzly bear habitats. Additionally, communities which were once unaware of their optimality for the growth of the grizzly bear population within or near to their community may now become more aware and so new policies may be implemented designating new protected areas for grizzly bear habitats.

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Budget

Item Description Mac Computer Arc GIS Map Basic Software Tools used in fieldwork

Quantity 1 1

Cost $1000 $1500

3 GPS devices 1 camera 5 other

$300 $150 $500 $15000 $48000 $3500

Land Surveying Company Staff members at $20/hr Travel across areas of North America Wildlife Biologist Miscellaneous/Unexpected Costs Total (Direct Costs) Total (Indirect Costs) Final Total Cost

3 weeks 5 people for 3 months 5 people

2 people for 2 weeks -

$2000 $5000

$76,950 $30,780 $107,730

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Timeline

Timeframe Week 1 Week 1 - 3

Task Orientation Hire Land Surveying Company

Outcome

Define current habitat areas

Week 2 Week 2- 3

Travel to North America Hire Wildlife Biologist

Learn about the grizzly bears habitat

Week 2- 4

Conduct Fieldwork

Conduct all essential fieldwork using tools

Week 5 Week 6 8

Begin putting together data Analyze data using GIS and other methods

Week 9- 10

Finish Proposal and Policy Recommendations

Week 10 15

Put together education programs for communities

In order to bring about awareness

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Works Cited "Grizzly Bear History." Conservation Northwest. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. "The Grizzly Today : Discovery Channel." Discovery Channel. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. "Endangered Species Act | Overview." Endangered Species. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. "Mountain-Prairie Region USFWS." Mountain-Prairie Region USFWS. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. "Resilient Habitats: Grizzly Bear." Grizzly Bear. Sierra Club, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. "Current Status." Trans-border Grizzly Bear Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. "Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team - Research and Monitoring." Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK). USGS, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. !

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