We did it again! the Spirit of Christmas

Notes from the Field - A conservation update from the Great Bear Rainforest

In the Spirit of Christmas

By Brian Falconer, Guide Outfitter Coordinator

In 2005, our supporters helped us purchase a vast guide outfitting territory on BC’s central coast and end commercial trophy hunting in an area approximately three times the size of Yellowstone National Park. Given the huge success of that initiative, both in terms of stopping trophy hunting and supporting commercial wildlife viewing, we decided to look for similar opportunities.

In 2010, we began negotiations to acquire a unique hunting tenure which comprises the home of nearly all the world’s free roaming spirit bears (a white colored black bear).

In July of 2011, thanks to your incredible generosity, we raised the $370,000 in acquisition costs needed to purchase the tenure by the deadline. Since raising the funds, we have been waiting for the BC Ministry of Environment to transfer the new territory to Raincoast. These frustrating and unnecessary government delays have prevented us from being able to announce this purchase. However, just this week we received assurances from the provincial government that the territory will be transferred to us early in the new year.

The acquisition of this territory, in combination with our initial purchase, means that we have effectively ended commercial trophy hunting in a contiguous area of nearly 30,000 sq km. This has only been possible because of your support.

Going forward, in collaboration with Coastal First Nations, Raincoast is actively investigating the potential acquisition of additional guide outfitting territories. But to do the necessary groundwork (e.g., investigating potential opportunities and negotiating with territory owners), as well as manage and monitor our existing territories, we need your financial support. We need to raise $75,000 per year to carry out this work on an annual basis.

Stand with us as we continue to pursue our goal of ending the trophy hunting of large carnivores on the coast of British Columbia.

For the Coast (and the bears),

Brian

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WE DID IT AGAIN!

Your support secured the purchase of the 3,500 sq km ‘spirit bear’ hunting tenure.

TrackingRaincoast into 2012

Be sure to look for the 2012 edition of Tracking Raincoast in your (snail mail) mailbox.

Raincoast Conservation Foundation PO Box 2429 Sidney, BC, Canada V8L 3Y3 Tel: (250) 655-1229Photo Credits: Diane Bradshaw, Klaus Pommerenke, Jamen Rhodes, Larry Travis, Doug Brown


Your support is halting the commerical hunting of black bears which carry the recessive gene that produces the spirit bear’s white coat.	This purchase is also helping to protect the genetically unique rainforest wolves Raincoast has studied for over a decade.	In a vast roadless area, we depend on our research vessel Achiever to access and monitor our territories.

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Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.

We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.