Canmore’s elected officials are leading the way into a process to address the issue of human and wildlife conflict in the Bow Valley after an already tumultuous summer with respect to bear activity. And it’s not over yet.
When bear 148 ranged up and down the Bow Valley earlier this summer, wildlife management agencies scrambled to deal with her behaviour, and the behaviour of people throughout the region.
Not only was there a lack of consistent approach toward her management across government agencies – Parks Canada, Alberta Parks and Alberta Fish and Wildlife – but her interactions with people reached a point at least one agency would no longer tolerate.
After Fish and Wildlife relocated bear 148 to an area in the northern part of the province, debate over how different decisions were made and issues handled has led Mayor John Borrowman to take action.
“I think we are at a point where we all want to actually deal with the issue rather than just talk about it and pay lip service to protecting wildlife as they move through our valley and truly learn to coexist,” Borrowman said. “We need a complete overhaul of how we deal with bears and how this community deals with its own residents and visitors when bears are present.”
For Canmore, it is an issue that’s time has come due, with development approvals from the early ‘90s reaching the point of fruition this year and driving a debate over how the community is growing. The implications of the community doubling in size as a result of what has already been approved in terms of future development in Silvertip and Three Sisters Mountain Village – approvals made by the province and that the municipal development authority is required to respect.
Increased numbers of people in the Bow Valley – visitors and residents alike – has led to questions over what types and levels of use are appropriate in areas adjacent to wildlife corridors.
The issue of human-wildlife conflict has always been the jurisdiction of the provincial government, said Borrowman. The process of creating wildlife corridors, designating them and monitoring them is that of provincial officials and always has been he said.
“We have always maintained that enforcement and monitoring of wildlife corridors is a provincial responsibility,” said the mayor. “The province, for the most part, has indicated it doesn’t have the resources to do that sort of work in the corridors.
“My hope is that coming out of all this, the Town of Canmore will have some concrete suggestions that are informed by expert opinion and people that have a lot of expertise in wildlife corridor management.”
The mayor said he suspects the results of the process would not be “universally popular” in the community, because making the corridor effective includes working to get human use within it to acceptable levels.
A recent Alberta Environment and Parks camera study actually examined human use levels inside and adjacent to designated wildlife corridors in Canmore. It found that 94 per cent of animals using the corridor were humans and a significant and alarming number of those people had off leash dogs with them.
The process is undefined as of yet. The motion approved by council directs administration to convene a group of representatives from various agencies to develop terms of reference for a larger initiative to focus on processes and options to reduce human wildlife conflict in the Bow Valley. A report back to council is expected in October.
Other stakeholders include the Town of Banff, Parks Canada, Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta Fish and Wildlife and MLA Cam Westhead.
Despite the level of debate in the community around the issue, Westhead said he has not come to any conclusions about what outcomes the process should reach with respect to managing human use and addressing human wildlife conflict and how various government agencies manage the issue.
“I think what (this summer) has illustrated is there is a real appetite in the public to be good stewards of the environment and a desire for more information around wildlife management and human wildlife conflict and how citizens can be involved in protecting wildlife in their actions, like avoiding closure areas and wildlife corridors,” Westhead said.
“I think another thing that I have recognized is the municipality can be really good partners with the province in terms of reaching a shared goal of protecting people and wildlife at the same time.”
The MLA for Banff-Cochrane said he is optimistic about the process and feels a round table will lead to identifying issues and solutions that could make a real difference in the Bow Valley.
The municipality has been leading the process, with the approval of a strategic plan to address human use with respect to wildlife and corridors in 2015 with the Human Use Management Review process.
Several projects have moved forward this year, leading directly out of the recommendations in that report, including the creation of neighbourhood off-leash dog parks and the Quarry Lake Park mountain bike trail.
The latter has been a magnet for criticism about how council is making decisions with respect to recreation in areas adjacent to wildlife corridors.
The report and council have referenced the need to remove unapproved trails used by mountain bikers inside designated wildlife corridors that stretch along the valley. Borrowman said in order to address that very specific unwanted use, the strategy approved supports providing an attractive mountain biking trail in an approved location.
The idea is that if mountain bikers use the approved trail because it is enjoyable, they will no longer ride their bikes through the protected corridor space and displace wildlife as a result.
“At times it seems people pick and choose how they apply their concerns about protecting wildlife movement in this valley,” said the mayor. “Quarry Lake Park is a recreation area and intended for the enjoyment of all members of our community and visitors.”
