In Banff National Park, the restoration of the Sulphur, Norquay-Cascade, and Middle Springs wildlife corridors allows bears and other wildlife to navigate around the Banff townsite. Parks Canada is working to restore wildlife corridors around communities in the mountain parks. These developments and human activity create pinch points, fragment habitat, and can filter or even block wildlife movement.īears that risk using habitat or travel routes near human developments are more likely to die human-caused deaths by being struck by vehicles or trains, or by becoming ‘problem’ bears that are destroyed as a public safety risk. Here, bears are also most likely to encounter busy trails, roads and highways, railways, campgrounds, or townsites. The best, most continuous habitat and wildlife corridors sweep along major valley bottoms. If connectivity remains, a large population can rescue a small population from extirpation by providing a source of immigrants. Isolated populations are more likely to be extirpated as they are vulnerable to disease, environmental changes such as drought and climate change, in-breeding, or inability to find a mate. If landscape connectivity is lost, bear populations may become isolated. Grizzly bears need to move far and wide to find adequate food, shelter, and mates. Linkages can be within a bear’s home range, or connect populations on a larger scale. Such routes are called wildlife corridors or habitat linkages they link both habitat and populations. The naturally fragmented landscape of the Rocky Mountains dictates where bears can move-along mountain ridges, over mountain passes and through river valley bottoms. Because bears are great travellers and establish large home ranges (up to 2000 km2), the next step to ensuring their survival is providing safe passage from habitat to habitat. Research has shown that protecting “islands” of habitat isn’t enough.
Restoring quality bear habitat in the mountain parks is only the first step in meeting a bear’s needs. Wildlife Corridors | Wildlife Crossing Structures Through science, research and experience, we are gaining a deeper understanding of how we can use this tool to maintain habitat zones for wildlife away from the hustle and bustle of human activity. Since then, the mountain parks have become leaders in fire management. The first prescribed fire was lit in Banff National Park in 1983. Prescribed fire mimics the natural process which opens up the forest, allows new vegetation to grow, and creates better bear habitat. Past fire suppression practices have resulted in open forests and meadows being replaced by older, dense forests that provide limited bear foods. These natural disturbances cultivate the diverse habitats that bears and many other species rely on. In the Rocky Mountains, grizzly bears evolved with dynamic landscape events like fire, avalanche and flood. Parks Canada is restoring more open habitat for grizzly bears away from crowded valley bottoms by bringing fire back to the landscape. Restoring Habitat | Connecting Habitat | Protecting Habitat Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office.Directory of federal heritage designations.National marine conservation areas system.
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