Protecting social habitat for bears

Layered onto the diverse landscapes that grizzly bears call home is another, equally variable ecosystem: the human one. As bears exit their winter dens in search of food and mates this year, be it in sprawling sagebrush steppes, high-elevation whitebark pine stands, or willow-lined waterways, their success will be determined by the availability of social habitat - the tolerance and attitudes that enable coexistence - as much as physical habitat.

As a collective, we humans wield immense influence over the fates of our fellow creatures. With management plans, policies, attractants, media representation, infrastructure and more, we engineer the world that wild animals inhabit in ways that both help and hinder them. For the grizzly's still-recovering populations in the Lower 48, social habitat is a significant factor shaping their trajectory. A charismatic and high-profile species, they inspire divisive and passionate opinions. The real and perceived threats they pose to ways of life in the Mountain West, be it recreation or ranching, mean they are not always safe and welcomed even in places plentiful enough to sustain them.

Intolerance towards grizzlies and other wildlife has had vast historical consequences. The fear and anti-predator sentiments of early European settlers in the West drove the persecution of animals like bears and wolves that had long coexisted with Native tribes. In conjunction with the development of farms, towns, railroads and highways that ate away at large swathes of their habitat, 20th-century antagonism nearly extirpated grizzlies south of the Canadian border.

The counter-tide of conservation, in conjunction with ancient kinship ethics, has brought grizzlies back from the brink. But just like we must continuously protect and steward physical habitat, supporting social habitat for wildlife is an ongoing effort. With this year's warm, dry winter and changing climate patterns ahead, we will likely see longer active seasons for bears and unstable availability of various natural food sources. These factors create more chances for conflicts and, in turn, fertile breeding ground for anti-bear sentiments.

Coming Together for Coexistence

Just like the protection of open spaces, we can all contribute to creating and sustaining social habitat for grizzlies. From the Swan Valley to the Idaho Panhandle and beyond, Vital Ground's partners across grizzly country proactively prevent conflicts through proven techniques, everything from electric fencing and bear-proof sanitation to range rider programs, livestock carcass removal and community education. By making it easier for people to share the landscape with bears, conflict prevention and outreach work expands social habitat for grizzlies.

A recent University of Montana-led study on Montanans' attitudes toward bears showcased the challenges ahead. The authors detailed how experiencing property damage caused by grizzlies or hearing about it from others can, understandably, increase negative attitudes toward the species. The study also explained how our social dynamics of "in" and "out" groups reinforce our beliefs about wildlife. For example, hunters in the state, who are more likely than non-hunters to have face-to-face interactions with grizzlies, tend to be less afraid of bears but also more likely to hear about negative encounters and property damage. The attitudes of non-hunters surveyed were less swayed by these stories of property damage, likely because they typically came from "out" group members. The authors of the study warned that this pattern of belief reinforcement and the tendency to dismiss differing opinions and experiences could amplify polarization in our conversations around wildlife.

The study confirmed that increases in conflicts with bears tend to prompt decreases in social tolerance, but it also highlighted that, overall, Montanans have positive attitudes towards wildlife. Leaning into our shared values, mutual interest in open space and collaborative efforts to make our towns and landscapes more bear-safe will help us build stronger communities of coexistence, both with wildlife and each other.

Meeting and working face-to-face across cultural divides can go a long way, as the study illustrated in one example. "Work by conservationists and ranchers in Europe to install bear-resistant fencing built trust among participants, promoted a shared sense of responsibility, and fostered understanding among previously polarized in-group and out-group members," wrote the authors.

Coexistence tools and educational efforts that protect social habitat remain as important as land conservation in the grizzly's ongoing recovery story. Vital Ground continues to prioritize both physical and social habitat protection, including the launch of our online Bear Safety Hub last month, a series of resource pages for landowners, recreationists, visitors to grizzly country and community groups. Check it out at vitalground.org/bear-safety-hub and thank you for helping keep our shared landscapes safe.