Waterton Biosphere Reserve

Top environmental challenge faced by the community (currently or in the past 10 years):

Southwestern Alberta is faced with several environmental challenges such as climate change, human-wildlife interactions, and land use issues. While living with carnivores is not necessarily the top environmental challenge, it is a significant one and an issue the Waterton Biosphere Reserve has been working on. Due to a limited network of public lands in southwestern Alberta, there is extensive overlap between large carnivore home ranges and private land uses. Southwestern Alberta has been and continues to be a provincial hotspot of large carnivore-agricultural conflicts. Interactions with grizzly bears are of particular concern. The region is home to the highest density grizzly bear population in Alberta. Bears in southwestern Alberta are part of a much larger international population that includes southeastern British Columbia and Montana. Recent research indicates that this larger international bear population is growing. Grizzly bears can cause livestock depredation and property damage. Bears can damage standing crops and stored silage and grain; destroy grain bins; and raid gardens, fruit trees, and garbage. They also represent a safety concern when near homes and communities.

How the environmental challenge has affected local livelihoods:

Damage caused by grizzly bears and other large carnivores has economic and emotional impacts on rural communities. Producers and families confronted with financial, time, and safety impacts of living with large carnivores can feel a significant amount of stress. Livestock lost to carnivore depredation and damage to stored grain and livestock feed by bears represents a financial loss for agricultural producers, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. While we acknowledge that on a large scale the economic impact of large carnivores to the agricultural economy is small, on a small scale the economic impacts of large carnivores to individual producers can be significant. Additionally, when bears frequent areas close to rural residents, there is a human safety concern. People that have not lived with grizzly bears for decades are now having to adapt their operations and lifestyles to minimize potential conflicts. Reworking operations can be a significant investment of time and money.

Community response to the challenge, through environmental stewardship (conservation) initiatives that improve environmental well-being and support sustainable livelihoods:

The Waterton Biosphere Reserve’s Carnivores and Communities Program (CACP) began in 2009 in response to increasing conflicts between large carnivores and agricultural land uses. The CACP is led by the Carnivore Working Group (CWG). The CWG is a grassroots initiative comprised primarily of area landowners and producers, but also includes representatives from the provincial government and Nature Conservancy of Canada. The CWG operates on a consensus-based model, and together with other partners, has made tremendous strides in reducing large carnivore-agricultural conflicts. The CACP has three primary programs: 1. attractant management projects, 2. deadstock removal, and 3. bear safety workshops. Through these efforts the group works to secure or eliminate the primary agricultural carnivore attractants. The bear safety workshops are targeted to ranch families and provide an opportunity for community members to learn about bear behaviour and safe human behaviour including the use of bear spray. Through these efforts the CACP has helped mitigate some of the conflicts that arise when people and carnivores share the landscape. They have also inspired other communities to consider similar programs.

The extent to which the response was successful or otherwise:

The Waterton Biosphere Reserve’s Carnivores and Communities Program (CACP) has effectively engaged the community through their efforts. To date, they have completed over 70 attractant management projects (e.g. grain bin retrofits, electric fencing, etc.), and removed over 3,500 livestock carcasses from the landscape. Additionally, they have hosted at least one bear safety workshop every year since 2014. One-on-one interviews with individuals that have completed an attractant management project indicate these projects have been successful at the site level. The work of the CACP has received a favourable response from the community and they have been recognized as a provincial leader in mitigating large carnivore-human conflicts. They are currently in the beginning stages of a formal program evaluation, but preliminary data suggest that their efforts are contributing to a decrease of carnivore conflicts in southwestern Alberta. The WBR’s Carnivores and Communities Program has helped give a voice to the community and has brought together a variety of people and perspectives to work together on ways for people and carnivores to share the landscape.

Extent to which governmental policy (at local, regional or national levels, as relevant) has supported, or been contrary to, the community's responses to the environmental challenge:

The provincial and federal governments have chosen to support the Waterton Biosphere Reserve’s Carnivores and Communities Program, which has greatly helped the program succeed. The proactive approach of the program, together with sound science, has influenced government policy surrounding large carnivore management. Although some government policies and programs are still viewed by the community as requiring change (for example, the predator compensation program), policy makers have become more connected to the community, which is positive.

Keywords: Ecosystem

Agricultural, Forest, Freshwater, Grassland, Montane/Mountain

Keywords: Resources

Air, Fossil fuels, Land, Wildlife, Water

Keywords: Big Issues

Biodiversity, Climate change, Human-wellbeing, Land use

Keywords: Solutions

Governance/Management, Policy and planning, Public participation

Contributed by: Waterton Biosphere Reserve

The information provided and opinions expressed above are the responsibility of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views and analysis of the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN), nor those of all members of the community described.

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