Proactive approaches can help reduce the potential for future conflicts. There has been a substantial amount of research on bear behavior and human-bear conflicts over the last several decades and this information can be used to develop effective human-bear conflict mitigation strategies that help communities and bears more effectively share the landscape.
The IGBC supports collaborative community-led strategies that benefit both people and bears by reducing conflicts and improving human safety in areas where people and bears share the landscape. At the December 2022 meeting, the IGBC Executive Committee adopted the IGBC Bear Smart Community framework. The framework may be useful for communities that are voluntarily interested in establishing their own Bear Smart Committees, completing a Bear Smart Community Assessment, and developing and implementing a Bear Smart Community Plan. The framework is intended to be flexible enough so that it can be adapted by individual communities to fit their needs.
The IGBC Bear Smart Communities Working Group (including representatives from MTFWP, IDFG, WYGF, and WDFW, and USFWS) will continue to meet to coordinate and compile supporting information. As more material is produced, it will be posted here.
For more information, please directly contact your local state wildlife agency.
