The Government of Yukon and the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board have released the conservation plan for grizzly bears in Yukon. The plan will help guide decisions related to grizzlies in the territory by ensuring they remain healthy in their habitat and that their population is sustainable.
Goals of the plan include minimizing human-grizzly conflicts and taking care of the land and other species that grizzly bears rely on.
The plan was finalized following government-to-government consultation with First Nations, Inuvialuit and transboundary Indigenous groups.
Grizzly bears are important to Yukon’s ecosystem and also offer valuable opportunities for tourism and sustainable hunting. I would like to thank everybody who provided input and helped develop this plan. Wildlife management is a collaborative process and we are pleased that this plan reflects local, scientific and traditional knowledge.
Minister of Environment Pauline Frost
We believe this plan reflects the important knowledge and values Yukoners have about grizzly bears. We would like to thank each of the First Nation Governments, Renewable Resources Councils, various organizations, and the public that contributed to the development of this plan. We hope this plan enables partnerships and decision-making that will enable grizzly bear conservation and habitat protection for future generations.
Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board Chair John Burdek
Yukon is home to an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 grizzly bears.
In June 2018, grizzly bears were formally listed as a species of concern under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, which requires development of a national management plan within three years. Yukon’s grizzly bear plan will directly inform the Yukon portion of the federal management plan.
Matthew Cameron
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7136
matthew.cameron@gov.yk.ca
Heather Avery
Communications, Environment
867-334-8390
heather.avery@gov.yk.ca
Graham Van Tighem
Executive Director, Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board
867-667-5835
executivedirector@yfwmb.ca