The City of Prince George is installing signs at parks and city-owned greenspaces that are known to be frequented by bears.
The signs are being installed at trailheads and in active bear corridor areas and include information on how to stay safe as well as how to report a bear to the BC Conservation Service.
“This is the City’s latest initiative in its work to help keep residents and bears safe and is part of its effort to achieve official Bear Smart community status. The Bear Smart Community program is a voluntary program designed by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in partnership with the British Columbia Conservation Foundation and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities,” said spokesperson Mike Kellett.
Over the 10 year period up to 2018, an average of 35 bears were destroyed per year in Prince George and there has been an average of 890 bear sighting reports according to the BC Conservation Service.
Last year, Prince George City Council directed Administration to continue working towards achieving Provincial Bear Smart status.
“While all of Prince George should be considered “bear country” and residents should be prepared to encounter bears whenever they are in or near parks and green spaces, certain areas have an increased likelihood of seeing or encountering wildlife including bears,” said Kellett.
79 of the City’s 169 parks and green spaces were determined to be high traffic areas for bears.
In addition to the new signs, park staff is working to enact measures to decrease the likelihood of bear-human encounters like maintaining bear-resistant garbage cans at parks with a high number of bears, locating play areas away from heavily vegetated areas, and improving lines of sight by planting bear-resistant plant species and removing or thinning vegetation near trailheads, trail switchbacks, and play areas.
The City is aiming to apply for the Provincial Bear Smart designation later this year.
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