| Project Code: | WF-01-008 |
| Program: | FRIP |
| Sponsor: | West Fraser Mills Ltd. |
| Project Status: | Complete |
Additional Sponsors:
- Weyerhauser Company Ltd.
The Grizzly Bear Denning Project began in 2021 as a West Fraser Mills Ltd. initiative, with technical leadership taken on by fRI Research. fRI Research has played an instrumental role in our understanding of grizzly bears in the foothills and across the province, with over 23 years of research as part of their Grizzly Bear Program. Although this work provided new knowledge about grizzly bear denning, the available denning data had not been used to answer specific questions directly related to forest management. This project presented an opportunity to both synthesize bear denning data and to present findings in a way applicable to different forestry audiences.
The two primary objectives / deliverables of this project completed over the year and a half project timeline were:
1) To provide a report detailing our current knowledge about grizzly bear denning behaviour west-central Alberta.
2) To create a pocket guide to aid forestry workers with the identification of bear dens in the field.
No future work is currently recommended or planned; however, as part of the project fRI provided several management recommendations which may inform forestry practices around grizzly dens in the future. Updates in data and knowledge may warrant revision of the materials to ensure they are current.
Deliverables:
- Final report, pocket bear identification guides
WF-01-008