Preliminary Wrangell-St Elias National Park & Preserve Bear Management Plan Overview (Discussion Points)
Dates
Year
2002
Citation
Wilder, James M., 2002, Preliminary Wrangell-St Elias National Park & Preserve Bear Management Plan Overview (Discussion Points): no. Unpublished Material, 32 Pages.
Summary
There is a trend towards development of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to accomodate increased visitor use and to generate additional tourism revenue for the state of Alaska. Master planning should be utilized in setting Park goals, zoning areas for visitor use and wilderness, and ensuring that developments do not erode the conservation values of the Park. Specifically, information on grizzly bears should be incorporated carefully into planning recreational facilities in order to avoid important grizzly bear habitats. Fundamental measures designed to minimize bear-human conflicts should include management of human food and garbage; public education on bears; monitoring of bear data; problem bear control; planning the locations of [...]
Summary
There is a trend towards development of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to accomodate increased visitor use and to generate additional tourism revenue for the state of Alaska. Master planning should be utilized in setting Park goals, zoning areas for visitor use and wilderness, and ensuring that developments do not erode the conservation values of the Park. Specifically, information on grizzly bears should be incorporated carefully into planning recreational facilities in order to avoid important grizzly bear habitats. Fundamental measures designed to minimize bear-human conflicts should include management of human food and garbage; public education on bears; monitoring of bear data; problem bear control; planning the locations of recreational facilities (campgrounds, etc.) to avoid placement in prime bear habitat; coordinated ecological system management around the Park; bear population monitoring; protocol for handling problem bears situations, bear attacks, and carrion; public viewing of bears; staff training; and bear research.