West Babine Sustainable Resource Management Plan

Figure 1, Population estimates for the plan area under different scenarios on the
previous page, illustrates several concepts:
The present population has already been affected by development and mortality inside
and outside the plan area. We expect this risk to increase as watersheds surrounding the
plan area are developed.
The population of the study area will decline because of the effects of access. The intent
of the plan is to mitigate that decline. The step-down shown for the Babine plan is
midway between the present population and the population expected without a plan. The
actual result would vary depending on the effectiveness of the plan’s management
measures, but is very difficult to quantify.
The step-down with no plan in place was assumed to be about 60 per cent in the long
term, assuming conventional development. If all of the surrounding watersheds are to be
developed conventionally as well, the step-down would likely be greater over the long
term.
The LRUP goal of “maintaining the present grizzly bear population” does not recognize
that the range of many of the Babine bears extends beyond the plan boundaries or that
integrated development as required in the LRUP and both LRMPs will have an affect on
estimates of the bear population.
3.1.2.2 Management direction for grizzly bear habitat
The Kispiox LRMP contains the following strategies to maintain grizzly bear habitat and
address access issues:
high value grizzly bear habitat will be protected through application of management
strategies such as buffering with reserves, modifying silvicultural systems, and
minimizing clearcut sizes (i.e., < 15 ha);
selection harvesting will be applied to a minimum of 5% of the forested portion of high
value grizzly bear habitat outside of riparian management areas or wildlife habitat areas;
established strategies for management of grizzly habitat will be used in the development
and review of landscape and operational plans;
effects of access on grizzlies will be addressed through coordinated access management
plans and modified road construction practices; and
regulated grizzly bear hunting may be restricted in portions of the planning area, such as
the Babine River corridor, as part of the provincial conservation strategy.
In this plan, strategies to conserve grizzly bear populations focus on both access management
and habitat conservation. Areas containing the highest habitat values have been identified as
high value grizzly bear habitat (see Map 7, page 72). Management within these zones will
focus on maintaining the necessary structural features of grizzly bear habitat.
Management in the Babine SMZ, as it pertains to grizzly bears is found in Section 3.2.3.1,
page 38. Landscape level objectives to manage seral stage distribution of forests in
watersheds, as outlined in Section 3.1.1, page 12 will also contribute to landscape level
management of forage supply for grizzly bears, as will management of berry areas (Section
3.3.6.2, page 58).
March 2004 Page 25