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For Immediate Release
Defenders of Wildlife Builds Electric Fences to Reduce Grizzly Bear Deaths
Missoula, MT - Defenders of
Wildlife today announced completion of a cooperative project with Bob Fullerton,
a beekeeper on the Blackfeet Reservation, to build electric fences around two
beeyards to prevent grizzly bear damage. In the past, bears have broken into
Fullerton’s beeyards to access the honey, resulting in one grizzly being
relocated and a black bear being shot. Electric fencing is very effective for
eliminating the problem of both black and grizzly bears tearing up
beeyards.
Fullerton, owner of the Chief Mountain Honey Company in Babb,
Montana, has had success using electric fences - built with assistance from
Defenders - to keep bears away from his bee yards. ”I haven’t had a single
problem since we set up the fences,” commented Fullerton. Over
the years
Defenders has partnered with Fullerton on five different fencing projects adding
up to an investment of $5,025 by Defenders and many hours of labor by
Fullerton.
The fencing projects were paid for through Defenders’
Proactive Carnivore Conservation Fund. This fund was established to protect
threatened wolves and grizzly bears by assisting landowners with the cost for
on-the-ground projects to reduce potential conflict between predators, people
and their property. Some examples include buying electric fencing materials to
create secure calving grounds and sheep bedding grounds, purchasing
bear-resistant containers for rural communities and Forest Service campgrounds,
and setting aside grazing
land situated in key grizzly bear habitat.
Defenders has provided more than $160,000 for 40 pro-active projects to
encourage grizzly bear recovery over the past six years.
“Successful
recovery of grizzly bears depends on reducing human-bear conflicts,” said Rodger
Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife. “When wild predators come into
conflicts with humans, everyone loses; the individuals’ livelihood is impacted
and bears become the targets of lethal removal.”
“Humans are the single
largest cause of grizzly bear mortality in the Northern Rockies” said Minette
Johnson, Defenders of Wildlife’s Northern Rockies Regional Representative.
“Preventing conflict before it occurs is the most effective action we can take
to restore wild grizzlies.”
Eighty seven percent of known grizzly bear
deaths in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) between 1980 and 2002
were human-caused. Lethal control by state, tribal and federal wildlife agencies
and illegal killing can have a significant impact on grizzly bear populations.
Most bears tend to avoid humans and things associated with them, so even simple
techniques to discourage problems in the first place can be remarkably
effective.
“Building fences like these is a win-win situation” said
Blackfeet Tribal Wildlife Biologist, Dan Carney. “Beekeepers don’t need to worry
about bears damaging beeyards and bears don’t get access to non-natural
foods”.
Defenders was able to establish the Proactive Carnivore
Conservation Fund thanks to generous grants by The Bailey Wildlife Foundation,
the Bunting Family Foundation, the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation,
the Fanwood Foundation, The Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation for Animal
Welfare, the Wendy P. McCaw Foundation, and the Tapeats Fund. Since 1997,
Defenders has also compensated ranchers and sheepgrowers for livestock losses
caused by grizzly bears and has paid more than $100,000 for 138 incidents during
that time. See Proactive Carnivore Conservation Fund
for more information.
###
Defenders of Wildlife is one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and habitat, and was named as one of America's Top 100 Charities by Worth magazine. With more than 480,000 members and supporters, Defenders is an effective voice for wildlife and habitat. To learn more about Defenders of Wildlife, please visit www.defenders.org.
