Project coordinator: Brian Falconer
One for the Bears:
Raincoast purchases one of the largest commercial trophy hunting tenures in British Columbia.
The old saying “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” has taken on new meaning at Raincoast. In an unprecedented move, Raincoast successfully purchased one of the largest exclusive commercial trophy hunting tenures in the province in late 2005.
Our license area covers over 20,000 square kilometres of the Great Bear Rainforest (an area more than three times the size of Banff National Park) and runs from Princess Royal Island south to Cape Caution and east to Bella Coola (see map below). This wildlife-rich region includes much of the productive grizzly, spirit and black bear habitat of the BC central coast and is the core study area for much of our wolf research.
Support for the initiative came from the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo, Xai’ xais, Wuikinuxv, Gwasala Nakwaxdaxw and Nuxalk First Nations, as well as many Raincoast supporters. We are now in a position to manage the trophy hunt in a way that respects both First Nations wildlife management goals and the rapidly expanding wildlife viewing sector. We will also be exercising our rights as an owner of a guide outfitting territory to address industrial or commercial activity that could negatively impact large carnivores in this vast area.
