Bear Smart Community Program

Every year, hundreds and sometimes thousands of bears are destroyed as a result of conflicts between people and bears.

In rare instances, people are injured or killed as a result of these conflicts.

Most of these problems begin when people give bears access to non-natural food, such as garbage.

The program

The Bear Smart Community Program has been designed by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in partnership with the British Columbia Conservation Foundation and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

It's a voluntary, preventative conservation measure that encourages communities, businesses and individuals to work together.

The goal is to address the root causes of human-bear conflicts, thereby reducing the risks to human safety and private property, as well as the number of bears that have to be destroyed each year.

This program is based on a series of criteria that communities must achieve in order to be recognized as 'bear smart.'

The responsibility to manage human-bear conflicts rests with everyone.

The Bear Smart Community Program requires participation from the B.C. government, municipal governments and local citizens to be successful.

Resources and publications

A brochure outlining the program and a technical background report are available:

• Be 'Bear Smart' Community Brochure (PDF, 7MB)
• Bear Smart Community Program: Background Report (PDF, 527KB)

The background report is intended for communities interested in pursuing this initiative and provides detailed information on each of the criteria, including examples of their successful application.

Learn the differences and similarities between black bears and grizzly bears:

• Who's Who: Know Your Bears Brochure (PDF, 359KB)