Environmental Registry

Information Notice:		EBR Registry Number: XB04E6008
Title: 2009 Bear Wise Program for Reducing Human-Bear Conflicts		Ministry: Ministry of Natural Resources Date Information Notice loaded to the Registry: May 27, 2009



This notice was originally posted April 21, 2004, at the launch of the Bear Wise Program. Since then it has been republished annually (April 15, 2005; April 3, 2006; April 5, 2007; April 16, 2008 and May 27, 2009) to advise of planned program activities for the year.


Keyword(s): Agriculture \| Fish and Wildlife \| Parks \| Conservation
This notice is for your information. The Environmental Bill of Rights does not require this notice to be placed on the Environmental Registry, however, section 6 of the Act does allow the Environmental Registry to be used to share information about the environment with the public.

Rationale for Exemption to Public Comment: At this time, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is not proposing any specific policy proposal subject to the requirements of EBR. Any future policies or regulatory proposals regarding human-bear conflicts or bear management will be posted on the EBR Registry for further public review and comment as required. In 2009 MNR will continue to coordinate the Bear Wise Program in order to: 1. reduce human-bear conflicts; 2. make our communities safer; and, 3. educate the public about the important role bears play in Ontario’s biodiversity. The Bear Wise Program encourages the public to live safely in bear country by reducing attractants. As part of these efforts, beginning April 1, 2009, the MNR will again staff the Bear Wise Program’s toll-free telephone line, available to the public for reporting human-bear conflicts. Callers will now connect directly with a live operator during bear season. In addition, the MNR will continue to work cooperatively with provincial, municipal and aboriginal police services to respond to human bear conflicts. MNR, through the Bear Wise Program, will continue to provide expertise and advice to communities and the public on strategies to implement to ensure that they do not invite bears to their property and keep bears wild. Description: In 2004 MNR launched the Bear Wise Program to reduce human-bear conflicts. The Bear Wise Program is based on four cornerstones: 1. prevention; 2. education and awareness; 3. reporting – including a 24/7 toll-free, live operator reporting line; and, 4. response. The public can again in 2009 telephone 1-866-514-2327 toll-free to report human-bear conflicts that have the potential for human injury or damage to property. The Bear Wise toll-free telephone line will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week beginning April 1st until the end of November. Live operators will answer calls, and will provide advice on how to reduce bear attractants and, where appropriate, will forward the information to the appropriate district offices, where the occurrences will be assessed and appropriate responses provided by local district staff. In a life-threatening emergency the public should call 911 or their local police services. MNR has developed a number of awareness products available to the public that provide prevention messages to learn how to reduce human-bear conflicts, how to be safe in bear country and that re-enforce the need to respect bears. These awareness materials are available in hard copy and electronically through the Bear Wise website: ontario.ca/bearwise (ontario.ca/attentionours). The public and communities can access fact sheets, technical notes and other useful information in both English and French, and Ojibway and Cree (where appropriate). The focus of these materials is the effective management of bear attractants in order to coexist safely with bears. New awareness products are added to the website regularly. Other Information: Supporting documentation for this proposal is found at the following web-links: Nuisance Bear Review Committee Report and Recommendations, August 28, 2003 http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/254550.pdf Bear Wise Program news release 2006 http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Newsroom/LatestNews/MNR_E004010.html Bear Wise Program new release 2007 http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Newsroom/LatestNews/MNR_E004023.html Bear Wise Program news release 2008 http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Newsroom/LatestNews/MNR_E004102.html Bear Wise Program news release 2009 http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Newsroom/LatestNews/269046.html Bear Wise Program web site: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Bearwise/index.html Other Public Consultation Opportunities: The Ministry of Natural Resources carried out a thorough evaluation of the Bear Wise Program in 2008. The goal was to evaluate the progress of the program and to identify areas for improvement. In broad terms, it focused on education and awareness, prevention, reporting and response. In the summer of 2008, questionnaires were sent to selected provincial groups currently involved or interested in the program, including Aboriginal Treaty organizations, municipalities, police services and ministry staff. A total of 109 individuals provided feedback either in writing or through a personal interview. In October and November of 2008, six workshops were held in the communities of Dryden, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Parry Sound and Bancroft. A total of 120 clients and partners accepted the invitation to participate in the workshops. An online survey on the program was completed by about 1,100 individuals across the province early in 2009. In addition to commenting on possible changes proposed for Bear Wise, the information gathered from participants will help establish baseline data for public knowledge and social attitudes. The ministry is reviewing the results of the evaluation and will begin implementing changes in April 2009. Additional comments about the Bear Wise Program can be submitted to the contact identified in this notice.		Contact: Lee-Ann Choquette Senior Communications Officer Ministry of Natural Resources Deputy Minister's Office Communications Service Branch 300 Water Street Peterborough Ontario K9J 8M5 Phone: (705) 755-1364