October 27, 2011
The Importance of Being Bear Smart 

VICTORIA – West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre rose in the legislature today to speak of the importance of being Bear Smart. The seriousness of this issue became more apparent earlier this week when one of Whistler’s most recognizable icons was put down after weeks of escalating conflicts.  

“For several weeks I have been planning to congratulate residents and community leaders in three Sea-to-Sky communities for achieving the Bear Smart designation. So you can imagine my shock and horror to see the recent headlines about the death of Whistler's most famous photogenic bear, Jeanie. This just serves to dramatically underscore the importance of programs to reduce human-bear conflicts.

“To date there are only four communities in B.C. who have earned this Bear Smart status: Kamloops in '09, Squamish in 2010, and just last month the village of Lions Bay and resort municipality of Whistler were added to form this select group, which had committed considerable resources to meet the rigorous requirements. 

“Requirements such as: prepare a bear-hazard assessment of the community and surroundings, prepare a bear-human conflict management plan, revise planning decision-making documents to be consistent with that plan, implement a continuing education program, develop and maintain a bear proof municipal solid waste management system and implement Bear Smart by-laws prohibiting providing food to bears.

“The goal of this voluntary program, designed by our Ministry of Environment in partnership with B.C. Conservation Foundation and UBCM, is to address the root causes of bear-human conflicts, reduce the risk to human safety and property and, importantly, reduce the number of bears that have to be destroyed.

“Committed citizens on Bear Smart committees, such as the one led by Norma Rodgers in Lions Bay, are working proactively to reduce conflicts, whether caused by bears travelling through the village or resident bears that you'd find in Whistler, like Jeanie, whom I actually had the privilege of viewing her feeding in the alpine. 

“Please join me in congratulating Bear Smart communities, whose citizens are making a positive difference by working in partnership with local government to deal with bear hazards and provide continuing education to try to avoid the horrific fate of Jeanie, who'd become habituated and, ultimately, a threat to public safety.”

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