Understanding human-bear encounters and bear management from a local perspective in two Northern urbanizing regions across the Pacific-Rim

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Beverly Payne
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Resilience and Adaptive Management (RAM) Group, Biological Sciences, UAA 2 Biology and Wildlife Department, Institute of

1 Understanding human-bear encounters and bear management from a local perspective in two Northern urbanizing regions across the Pacific-Rim Kim Jochum 1,2, Andrew Kliskey 1, Lilian Alessa 1, Kris Hundertmark 2 and Dmitry Lisitsyn 3 1 Resilience and Adaptive Management (RAM) Group, Biological Sciences, UAA 2 Biology and Wildlife Department, Institute of Arctic Biology, UAF 3 Sakhalin Environment Watch, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russian Far-East Pathways to Success Conference, Colorado 2012

2 Overview Background Project Introduction Quantitative Surveys Qualitative Interviews Methods Data collection Results Outlook

Background We have more problems with bears, so there s got to be more bears Problem year 2008 Over 40 nuisance bears shot on Sakhalin Island In Alaska 17 nuisance bears shot by mid-july Russian

3 Background We have more problems with bears, so there s got to be more bears Problem year 2008 Over 40 nuisance bears shot on Sakhalin Island In Alaska 17 nuisance bears shot by mid-july Russian River 8 nuisance bears killed Increased media attention in both regions Overall perceived increase of human-bear encounters & recorded increase of human-bear conflicts (ADN, ADF&G, Zdorikov 2008) (fw.ky.gov)

4 Interest and user groups holding perceptions State Politician s Federal Politician s rural Local People State Managers Management Culture Data availability Hunting Fishing Recreation Tourism Economic Development Complex Federal Managers social-ecological system Bear Management urban moved in Culture Population Urbanization Population Habitat Diversity Habitat Increase Fragmentation Degradation

5 Project introduction Social Sciences Natural Sciences Qualitative Interviews over space and time Key factors triggering humanbear encounter increase Remote Sensing Land-use change Quantitative Survey Local perceptions Modeling, Predictions

6 Study Areas South-central Alaska Perimeter: 1,241 miles 1,998 km South Sakhalin Russian Far East Perimeter: 443 miles 713 km (google earth)

7 Comparison study regions Interest Alaska Sakhalin Oil and gas very high very high Fisheries very high very high Mining high high Forestry high high Economic growth high high Tourism very high limited Biodiversity medium medium Protected areas high limited Bear conflicts increase increase (google earth: Progorodnoye; largest natural gas liquifying plant, constructed under Sakhalin-2 project) Bear management yes no

8 Objectives (across study areas) Describe and compare residents perceptions of bear encounters and bear management Analyze the impact of land-use change on human-bear encounters at particular spatial and temporal scales Map and project human-bear encounters in relation to urbanization, land-use change, habitat features and people s perceptions (hot-spot mapping) Use results to identify and evaluate positive approaches and shortcomings of current bear management

Methods Qualitative Interviews Data collected 2010 2011 2 x 23 semi-structured interviews Participants: Adults, female and male Data collection: Snowball technique Analysis: Nvivo emergent & axial

9 Methods Qualitative Interviews Data collected x 23 semi-structured interviews Participants: Adults, female and male Data collection: Snowball technique Analysis: Nvivo emergent & axial coding Quantitative Surveys Data collected x 430 surveys Participants: Adults, female and male Data collection: public parks, recreational areas, outdoor recreation stores Analysis: SPSS factor analysis, GIS mapping and Random Forest modeling

10 Data Management Metadata (FGDC) Openly shared (OA) licensed by CC-by 3.0 stored in OA data base for long-term curation Which data base best for interdisciplinary data? GBIF? PIC? GCMD?

11 Survey data collection GIS

12 Qualitative Interviews What factors do you identify to trigger human-bear encounters? Which of those factors are the main factor(s)? How is bear management implemented in your area? What role do you think play in bear management? Environmental Interests Economic Interests Political Interests Social Interests Cultural Interests

13 [%] Results: All recognized factors to trigger human-bear encounters Alaska Sakhalin

14 Results: Key factors to trigger humanbear encounters [%] Alaska Sakhalin

15 Results:Relatedness of key factors to trigger human-bear encounters Pearson correlation coefficient Alaska Sakhalin

16 Results: Alaska bear management knowledge and values Code Sub-code Number of sources 1 General knowledge and interest State (Fish and Game) 15 Federal (Fish and Wildlife) 9 Board of Game 4 City 3 Media 2 BLM 1 Troopers 1 2 Economic factors Human population increase 2 3 Natural Resources (environmental factors) Sport hunting groups 1 Tourism 1 Ungulate populations 1 Wolves play a role too 4 Ungulate population reduction issue 3 Bear population increase 3 4 Policy and Public Public involvement 8 Political based 4 Conflict policy-public 3 Informing the public 2 Balance animals-people 2 5 Scientific management Is carried out 3 6 Negative perception Do not support current management 4 Kill mentality 2 7 Positive Perception Support current management 3 8 Don't know 7

17 Results: Sakhalin bear management knowledge and values Code Sub-code Number of sources 1 General knowledge and interest Hunting Department 5 Government 2 State 1 Agencies 1 Hunting Specialists 1 Media 1 2 Current Control Methods Licensed hunting 13 3 Natural Resources (environmental factors) Timely hunting restrictions 2 Measures to protect bears 2 Planned shooting 1 Suitable habitat needed 3 4 Scientific management Is carried out 2 5 Negative perceptions Poaching takes place 5 Licenses are expensive 3 Rather conflict management 2 No monitoring is taking place 2 6 Positive perceptions Support current management 4 Monitoring taking place 1 7 Don't know 6

18 Bear management knowledge and values Vary greatly between countries Many interview participants on Sakhalin identify the existence of licensed hunting as management: I know about the work of our hunting-specialists, and from that what is in the media: the population of bears is permanently recorded, and even a licensed shooting is presented, so the population is being governed and managed.

Bear management knowledge and values Vary greatly between countries Many interview participants on Sakhalin identify the existence of licensed hunting as management: I know about the work of our

19 Bear management knowledge and values Vary greatly between countries Many interview participants on Sakhalin identify the existence of licensed hunting as management: I know about the work of our hunting-specialists, and from that what is in the media: the population of bears is permanently recorded, and even a licensed shooting is presented, so the population is being governed and managed. In Alaska the connectedness of policy and public is referred to on average in nearly every interview Large interest of local public in bear management Often comments in a negative fashion, stating that the public is not enough involved in the decision making process: I read about how they are made. And I don t know how I feel about how they are made. There is policy The government is really odd, as far as I am concerned. It doesn t have very much contact with us normal people any more. I often don t agree with what either the state or the federal government is doing with bears.

encounter occurrences and perceptions over the last 20 years Identify

20 Outlook Quantitative Survey Analysis GIS hot-spot mapping Modeling and analysis of land-use change and access to resources influence on human-bear encounter occurrences and perceptions over the last 20 years Identify shortcomings in current management for each region Share results with management authorities

21 Wordle (

22 Wordle (

23 Acknowledgements Travel funding: (1) College of Natural Science and Mathematics, UAF: CNSM Travel Grant (2) Institute of Arctic Biology, UAF: IAB Directors Travel Grant EPSCoR SILVIS lab

Key programs and relevant studies

ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Key programs and relevant studies The Alaska Department of Natural Resources manages Alaska's surface and subsurface resources, except for fish and game. This includes