Chilkoot Monitor Program

Chilkoot River Corridor Working Group Presentation to Haines Borough Assembly

February 22, 2005 Mission Statement

Haines residents, descendants of the Chilkoot area, commercial operators, and government agencies work together to develop and implement management guidelines that protect and sustain the natural, historical, cultural, social and economic resources of the Chilkoot River Corridor for the generations to come. Working Group Goals

• Improve State agency ability to manage recreational use. • Reduce overnight use and roadside camping along river corridor. • Reduce human-wildlife conflicts and monitor and improve visitor

activity and behavior. • Help visitors reduce impacts to the area by developing a code of

conduct to help them self-monitor. • Minimize impacts to Chilkoot historical resources. • Increase public awareness of Chilkoot’s cultural significance. • Support the continuity of the Chilkoot Culture Camp. • Conserve habitat and scenic values. • Provide brown bears undisturbed route of access/egress to Chilkoot

River feeding areas. • Identify and interpret brown bear habitat and use patterns to augment

agency data needs and guide future planning and development decisions.

• Limit future impacts of motorized use on Chilkoot Lake. • Utilize best available technology to monitor fishery escapement and

minimize obstructions to fish passage. • Improve lakeshore parking areas to better accommodate larger

vehicles and reduce congestion.

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CONTENTS

Chilkoot River Corridor Working Group Mission Statement and Goals i

Chilkat Valley News Article on Monitor Activity 9/16/2004 1

Chilkoot Bear Monitor Activity Report 2004 – Anthony Crupi 4

Chilkoot Bear Monitor Summary 2002 – Tom Prang 9

Chilkoot Bear Monitor Summary 2002 – Megan Sherman 13

Chilkoot Visitor Letter 8/31/2004 16

ADF&G State Wildlife Grant Performance Report, Dec 2003– Polly Hessing 17

Historical perspective on Monitor Position 8/30/1996 – Jan Highfield 22

Eagle Eye News Article on Bears and Monitor 8/15/2002 24

Chilkat Valley News Article on Bears and New Monitor Program 9/19/2002 26

Chilkoot Visitor Letters 27

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More visitors pose challenges for bears, monitor at ChilkootBy Kristin White

On a mid-summer evening, a young female brown bear was feeding on spawning salmon along the roadside bank of the Chilkoot River. Spotting her, sport fishermen set aside their gear and tourists stepped out of their cars. Before long, several spectators were crowded near the bank. As they watched, another sow, this one with three cubs, sauntered onto the scene, interested in the same fishing hole.

The young female, needing to give space to the dominant sow and cubs, fled. Her choice escape route—across the river to the far bank—was blocked with fishermen (some trespassing on a clearly marked Native allotment). Her other option, which she chose, was through the roadside crowd, into the woods. In a matter of seconds, she charged toward the group. People screamed and ran out of the way, creating a part in the crowd just wide enough for the bear to pass through. Without incident, it sped across the road and into the trees, running between two cars parked just 10 feet apart.

Last month, nearly 100 people were observing a bear when a similar situation occurred; a sow and cubs came to feed, and the individual fled. This time, when the bear took off, it had a clear escape route. The Chilkoot River’s bear monitor, Anthony Crupi, had established a Bear Crossing—a place where people were encouraged not to stop or park. Now, moveable signs mark established bear corridors, offering a safer place for visitors to concentrate and a clear path for bears.

While Crupi (who’s studied bear activity in the Chilkoot for five years, most recently as bear monitor) called the crossings a "big achievement" for the Chilkoot this year, he said there’s "work to be done."

Every night since July 23, bears have been spotted feeding along the river—fishing for the same prize as the people who come with poles. The river ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sport fishing, and is becoming increasingly popular for wildlife viewing, especially between July and October, peak months for brown bear activity.

Between 2000 and 2003, Crupi’s research shows a 45 percent increase in vehicle traffic at Chilkoot. In 2000, 270 cars a day were counted during August through October, compared to 485 cars a day in 2003.

Where common knowledge states when salmon runs peak, bear activity peaks, his research also reveals at Chilkoot, bear activity is less related to the actual run as it is to the number of anglers and vehicles on the river. Peak activity the past four years corresponds to the weeks with the minimum numbers of anglers and vehicle traffic, Crupi said.

As the number of visitors to Chilkoot rises, "We should create hours on the river, so bears have a time to feed undisturbed," Crupi said. "Seems like people are staying here later at night and coming earlier in the morning… We need to move toward a long-range plan for the area."

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Developed in 2000 to do just that—create and implement a plan for the long-range, sustainable management of the natural, cultural, historical and socio-economic resources of the Chilkoot—the area’s Chilkoot River Corridor working group has "essentially disbanded," according to member Joel Telford of the state Division of Parks.

A collaborative of the Haines Chamber of Commerce, Lynn Canal Conservation and Chilkoot Indian Association, the 12-member working group consists of representatives from Native, hunting and sports fishing groups, the state Department of Fish and Game, Parks, tourism, conservationists, commercial fishermen and residents.

In December 2003, the group completed a strategic planning project, identifying goals of reducing human-wildlife conflicts and monitoring and improving visitor activity and behavior.

"The members have found we reached consensus on all we were going to… Other issues would be discussed at meeting after meeting…we weren’t making progress," Telford said.

A $47,000 grant from the state’s Coastal Impact Assistance Program awarded in 2002, paid for design of interpretive signs addressing bear-viewing etiquette, the state fish weir, local ecosystems and Tlingit culture. But funds still are needed for construction and installation of the signs.

Other infrastructure improvements are needed, as well, but for now, Telford and Crupi say the bear monitor program is "essential" to create a safe and responsible experience for the public.

The position, which does not have enforcement power, has been around since 2002, when the state Department of Fish and Game put up funding.

This year, funding continued through a state wildlife grant, in addition to a $2,000 grant from Tom’s of Maine, awarded to Lynn Canal Conservation to assist with the program.

"However, a long-term strategy for funding this project has not been identified, so the continuation of this program into next year will need to be addressed this winter," Crupi said.

"We have a golden opportunity to make this a place where people come to watch bears, a marketable section of our tourism," Crupi said. "Right now we’re featured in a German guidebook. By the hundreds, Germans are renting RVs in Whitehorse and coming down to watch the bears. I don’t know of us being in any U.S. guidebooks yet. I’m hesitant for it to become really popular…to advertise its potential…before we have a foundation to regulate (viewing)."

“However, a long-term strategy for

funding this project has not been

identified, so the continuation of

this program into next year will

need to be addressed this winter” An adult male bear hasn’t been observed at Chilkoot in Crupi’s five years of research. Even remote trail cameras did not pick them up. He speculates high levels of human activity have compromised the habitat.

What Crupi has observed: "This has been a record year for pink salmon but bear activity has been slower than usual. This year we are observing four females with cubs and only two sub-adults. Two indicators we assess are the number of different individuals fishing the river and the amount of time they spend fishing. Data collection over the course of the last three weeks indicates these numbers to be about half of what they were last year. Typically we document between nine and 15 independent bears with 40 to 60 percent of those observed being adult females. This year we are observing four adult females and one three-and-a-half-year-old female.

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"In July, much like the problems along the Kenai’s Russian River, bears were continually attracted to congested fishing holes by the remains of angler-cleaned sockeye and pink salmon. At least two timthis year, anglers allowed bears to obtain their unsecured fish. This continues to be a problem each year where bears are attracted near anglers by the parts of their cleaned fish that bears value most, the heads and eggs… I inform people that leaving their fish trains bears to approach people, creating an irreversible association between people and food, and often results in the destruction of the bear."

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On a nightly basis, he asks viewers to stand back from bears, to give them space to feed.

"People like seeing bears so much they like to get closer and closer… If interested in bear viewing, the human behavior that produces the best viewing occurs when moving vehicles are few, people are quiet and tightly grouped and a good distance away."

The morning is a particularly sensitive time for females with cubs, and early traffic sends them running; after being disturbed by something such as bright headlights, bears will give up fishing for the rest of the day, Crupi said.

"In fact, over 50 percent of all bear departures in the morning are associated with the arrival of early vehicles for bear viewing and fishing," he said.

In October, the return of coho to the river will attract more sport fishermen.

Crupi fears "the return of the anglers to the river will displace many of the more wary bears, and the more tolerant bears will search for senesced pinks and anglers’ filleted carcasses that do not reach the swift water."

Two tips for fishermen: don’t’ arrive at the river too early so that bears can catch their own fish, which will decrease the chance for a surprise encounter; and don’t leave behind carcasses. Instead, he suggests throwing entrails into swift water and storing "keeper" fish in vehicles.

In May, Crupi received his master’s degree in wildlife ecology from Utah State University. He’s been studying the Chilkoot since 2000, when he began collecting research for his thesis, which has to do with bear ecology in relation to human activity and salmon abundance. He served as the Chilkoot Bear Monitor last summer, and will wrap up his second year in the post in October.

Crupi’s thesis will be available in the reference section of the Haines Borough Public Library Monday. A community presentation on his research will be scheduled in October following the monitor season.

Reprinted with permission from the Chilkat Valley News, 9/16/2004, Vol. 34, # 37,

Monitor’s Responsibilities Visitors Bears Anecdotes

1) Orientation meetings with tour operators

Parks food policy, bear viewing guidelines, bear biology.

2) Bear education materials to visitors

CRC and bear info pamphlets distributed to Visitor center,

camper parks, sport shops, museums, hotels and B&B’s.

3) Campground rounds

Work w/ camp hosts and establish bear/food guidelines,

educate campers about storing coolers in vehicles.

Check that dumpster lids are locked - problem bear behaviors

have typically formed in June and July when natural foods are

limited - rewards from human food make curiosity profitable.

4) Talk with Lutak residents

Make residents aware of importance of bear-proof trash and

minimizing bear attractants, ie fish cleaning and composting.

Establish contact with local campground and motorized trail.

5) Interpret wildlife sightings

Bald eagles, goat nurseries, brown bears, and river otter.

MOSTLY WHERE:

• Campground

• Bridge

• Deer Rock

• 100m below Weir (fishing set-back)

MOST VISITORS FROM:

Haines 14%

Yukon 13%

California 9%

Hawaii

Alaska-other

British Columbia

WHERE:

• Borough land N

• Weir meadow E

• Estuary sedges

• Grass meadow near Lake

• Campground

# BEARS IN JUNE

1 SOW W/ 3 CUBS

1 31/2 YR FEMALE

A) PICNIC SHELTER

Guy from Pennsylvania camping on outskirts

of campground several nights and storing

food in unlocked commercial operator “Bear

Box” stored at the Picnic Shelter. Bear

arrived 30 min after food was removed.

B) CAMPGROUND

Crab concessionaire delivers crabs to

campers who then deposit remains in

dumpster. Subadult bear repeatedly turned

the dumpsters over in effort to get crabs.

Locks fortunately held.

C) BRIDGE

Successful bear viewing, grouped

approximately 30 viewers near bridge, quiet

and vehicles off, allowed Sow and 3 cubs to

forage on grasses and sedges for more than

an hour, relatively undisturbed.

JUNE 2004

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Monitor’s Responsibilities Visitors Bears Anecdotes

1) Assure monitor sampling and interpretations is refined

Monitor needs to be proficient in multi-tasking the protocols

while interacting with anglers and viewers nearest bears.

2) Bear awareness with visitors

Discuss storing coolers in vehicles, remaining in their vehicle

if bears are near, and being cautious as bears begin exploring

regions where filleted salmon carcasses remain.

3) Campground rounds

Educate roadside campers about camping in the campground

and storing food items inside cars. Ensure tent campers

adequately hang food, as many have been near piñata height.

Meet with large organized groups, ie. Wilderness Ventures.

4) Walk banks and talk with anglers

Make anglers aware of when and where bear activity has been

occurring. Recommend to respect posted property, keep

coolers in their vehicle, clean fish at the cleaning table and

throw entrails into swift water before storing their catch in

their vehicle. Never let a bear “git yer fish”.

MOSTLY WHERE:

• 100m below Weir

• River banks

• Deer Rock

• Borough land N

•William’s allotment

MOST VISITORS FROM:

Yukon 17%

Haines 13%

Alaska-other 10%

California

Colorado

Iowa

WHERE:

• Lake- sockeye

• East bank

• Mountain slopes

• Estuary grasses

• 100m below weir- angler scraps

# BEARS IN JULY

1 SOW W/ 3 CUBS

1 SOW W/ 2 CUBS*

1 31/2 YR FEMALE

*RARE SIGHTING

A) 100M BELOW WEIR

German angler snags sockeye at 5:15 pm and

reels it in front of bear. Several anglers told

him to cut his line when the bear noticed the

flopping fish 10 yards from the man, who

responded, “No, me first sockeye!”

First documented incidence of bear getting

fish off angler’s line at Chilkoot River.

B) WILLIAM’S ALLOTMENT

Angler from Haines Junction trespassing on

private property at 7:30 pm. Talked with her

for 10 minutes about private property

postings and bear habitat, etc, then she

disregarded it all and became belligerent.

Monitor left the scene and wrote a Warning

of Violation. Four days later she accosted

me while busy with job duties.

C) 150M BELOW WEIR

2 anglers from AZ catch a sockeye at 11 pm.

Placed dead fish on rock and retreated to

road to take photo of bear eating salmon.

JULY 2004

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Monitor’s Responsibilities Visitors Bears Anecdotes

1) Visitor accommodations

August is the busiest month with more than 20,000 visitor use

days, including: anglers, bear viewers, photographers, and RV

campers. Necessary for monitor to focus on education to all

user groups. Inform anglers of current fishing conditions,

provide basic visitor information and orientation to Haines,

and establish bear viewing guidelines.

2) Brown bear crossing corridors

Single largest improvement to the monitor program in 2004.

Most evenings, between 6 and 9 pm, more than 150 people

and as many as 485 visit in search of recreation. To ensure

human safety, recommend providing bears a consistent place

to gain unobstructed access to the river. The result was fewer

close surprise encounters than previously observed.

3) Anglers

Events (ie. SEAK Fair) combined with many salmon make

angling particularly busy. Assist anglers with unhooking fish

when necessary and promote proper storage techniques.

Walk the river and remove filleted fish carcasses and entrails.

MOSTLY WHERE:

• Weir to Deer Rock

• Bridge

• Entire river in search of bears

MOST VISITORS FROM:

Haines 23%

Yukon 15%

Germany 7%

California

Texas

Washington

WHERE:

• Borough land (50%)

• Weir to bridge- both sides of river

• Estuary

• Grass meadow coming from Lake

# BEARS IN AUGUST

1 SOW W/ 3 CUBS

2 SOWS W/ 2 CUBS

1 31/2 YR FEMALE

A) 150M BELOW WEIR

Young bear flees river into a crowd > 105

people (some running) as dominant bear

approached. Barely missed the bumpers of 2

trucks. Establish bear crossing corridors.

B) CHILKOOT LAKE BOAT RAMP

People from WA allowed bear to get

unattended fish on bank, then took food/trash

to bank, bear returned, and let it eat that too,

while 25 people photographed <10 meters.

C) CHILKOOT RIVER BRIDGE

2 Swiss anglers do not notice sow and 3 cubs

approaching because 9:30pm and dark.

When bears 100m from anglers, monitor was

500m away, quickly headed to warn anglers.

More than 8 fish and coolers of food on bank

with bears 25m upstream. Help them rapidly

retreat to RV with items, including illegal

minnow trap. Narrowly averted serious bear

feeding.

AUGUST 2004

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Monitor’s Responsibilities Visitors Bears Anecdotes

1) Bear interpretation with visitors

Morning bear viewers consistent before 6am, often in the

dark. Important to discourage morning activity, as it is

particularly disturbing to bear foraging success. Sows with

cubs who are intolerant of high volumes of people in the

evening need this period to obtain undisturbed access, yet

they are more likely to be displaced by early vehicles.

2) Monitor bear crossings

In early September, as the need for parking decreases, expand

the corridor where bears are able to cross the road. This

improves human safety by providing a greater distance

between people and bears. Morning corridors are generally

the same yet the monitor at times needs to establish temporary

crossings below deer rock as vehicles impede bears’ exits.

3) Campground rounds

Check campfire pits and campsites for food/trash and

unattended coolers, and again lock dumpster lids as bears

commonly move through the campground in route to lake

mouth.

MOSTLY WHERE:

• Weir

• Deer Rock

• Campground

• Bridge

MOST VISITORS FROM:

Haines 27%

Germany 9%

Alaska-other 9%

Yukon

California

Colorado

WHERE:

• Weir to bridge S- both sides of river

• Meadow across Chilkoot Culture Camp • Estuary

# BEARS IN SEPTEMBER

1 SOW W/ 3 CUBS

3 SOW W/ 2 CUBS

1 SOW W/ 1 CUB*

1 31/2 YR FEMALE

*RARE SIGHTING

A) CHILKOOT LAKE ROAD

Film-maker (BBC) with wife and infants

broke down at 6:30 am while driving in for a

closer shot. Towed them into town.

B) 100M BELOW WEIR

4 Alaskans in dark on river’s edge beneath

trees. Sow and 3 cubs as surprised by the 10

foot encounter as the people. Bears continue

downstream until 3 boisterous drunks 25m

away toss dog cookies towards bears.

C) DEER ROCK

Local resident irritated by bear crossing

signs pulls truck up beside 15 bear viewers,

has a tantrum, and then throws the large sign

into the bushes in protest.

D) CAMPGROUND

Camper taking trash to dumpster after dark,

surprised sow w/ 2 cubs. Threw trash bag at

bears and ran away. Bear did not get food.

SEPTEMBER 2004

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Monitor’s Responsibilities Visitors Bears Anecdotes

1) EVERYNIGHT remove carcasses at fish cleaning table

Wearing waders, collect fish remains from shallow water

(before 6-6:30pm) and toss into deep fast currents, clean fish

table to avoid attracting bears near people.

During Canadian Thanksgiving, more than 100 people present

at one time with 90% fishing, often dozens of carcasses.

2) Campground rounds

Unlikely to be camp hosts this late in the season so be sure to

check sites for food/coolers in both morning and evening.

3) Check day use area and lake/river banks

Food trash is often not or partially burned in the grill and/or

firepits. Many boats are stored overnight near the boatramp

and some leave behind coolers, food, and fish.

4) Spotlighting bears

Brown bears commonly spotlighted at this time of year

because dark so early and people still eager to see bears.

While the reaction of a few bears may seem minimal, the

majority of bears are displaced by this activity.

MOSTLY WHERE:

• Fish cleaning table

• Boatramp

• Picnic area

• Parking lot ledge

• Campground

MOST VISITORS FROM:

Yukon 72%

Haines 12%

British Columbia 2%

Pennsylvania

Alberta

Saskatchewan

WHERE:

• Fish cleaning table

• Bank below and across Lake parking area

• Grass meadow

below Lake mouth

• Borough land N

# BEARS IN OCTOBER

1 SOW W/ 3 CUBS

2 SOW W/ 2 CUBS

1 31/2 YR FEMALE

A) CHILKOOT LAKE ROAD

A car with 6 teens and open beers

spotlighting for bears. Asked to stop.

Same car returned 30 min later, but this

time their parents were spotlighting.

Important to discourage spotlighting as

this is a critical time for bears to store

fat needed during hibernation.

B) LAKE PARKING AREA

Great experience with respectful crowd

of 25 bear viewers. They were actually

quieting each other to better hear the

growls of cub play. Kept good distance.

C) GRASS MEADOW BELOW LAKE

2 sows w/ cubs feeding when still dark

at 6 am, yet anglers cross river in boat

hollering and banging oars to displace

bears so they can begin fishing far bank.

OCTOBER 2004

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2002 Chilkoot Bear Monitor Summary Tom Prang

Congratulations! The very fact that I am here this evening is proof of the positive impact this body is having on the Chilkoot. I have spent over 350 hours on the river from August 28 to Oct 15, and would like to share my observations on the successes of this position, as well as the challenges that will need to be faced in order to ensure this position reaches its full potential. This is only a brief encapsulation. I would need an entire evening to share most of the insights gained this fall. If interest is shown in setting up a separate meeting in order to receive greater details, I would be happy to comply. Also, for the long-term good of the Chilkoot corridor I will pull no punches and plan to tell it like it is. The successes of this position are more difficult for me to observe and quantify since I am focused on those exhibiting inconsistent behavior. Most of my time as the Chilkoot Bear Monitor for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is spent on public interpretation and education. The goal is to bring about more consistent human behavior for the mutual safety of all life on the Chilkoot, as well as minimizing the varied impacts each user group brings to the corridor. The greatest efforts went into 3 main user groups: Wildlife Viewers The goals are to have people give bears room to pass. Also, we recommend that people not follow bears in their vehicle or on foot and not leave the roadway. The reality is that people will only change behavior if someone is regularly on site to educate and enforce clearly defined rules in an unbiased manner. A person must be present who can be friendly, accurate, fair, consistent, and motivated if you realistically expect to meet the goals set forth for such a position. Most people want to do the right thing. There was a high degree of success in explaining the bears’ needs and behaviors while pointing out the ways bears reacted to human actions. The bears are much more consistent in their behavior than people. The pattern that I clearly see with bears is a relatively simple one of cause and effect. Wildlife viewers, privately and those brought to the Chilkoot for profit, are part of the powerful habituation process that takes place literally from the time bears come out of hibernation in the spring up to fall when most have left (or more accurately have been driven off). The worst user-group for crowding bears have been the photographers. I have regularly had people tell me they “had to get the shot.” As they approached bears within 10-20 feet. I will guarantee that the bears’ well-being and the concerns of you on the working group are completely ignored when self-indulgence and greed on the part of “professional” photographers are their motivating force. The Chilkoot is a commodity, time and effort have been expended by these individuals to get there, and there is no concern about how their current behavior will impact tomorrow. Professional photographers are knowingly violating ethical standards. Such behavior would never be tolerated at other dedicated wildlife viewing areas. This type of behavior is the impetus for other locations enacting strict regulations in order to maintain long-term stability. Not all photographers are in this category, but I spend an inordinate amount of time on this user-group’s behavior. The tourists taking photos are acting out of ignorance; this is where the bear monitor can be effective. Once people have learned what their impact can be on the bears they watch, many choose voluntarily to remain in or beside their vehicles, and will talk to others about appropriate behavior. This has been a particular success with this position.

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Fishers The goals are to make every effort to prevent a bear from obtaining their fish. Secure a catch as soon as possible--preferably in a cooler in a vehicle. Clean fish in the river and throw remains into deep/fast water. The reality is that many people show little regard for the well being of the Chilkoot in their actions. Once the bears have been forced by people to choose between feeding/survival and people crowding as close as possible, it does not take long before bears are drawn to food and fish left unattended and in plain view. This is really when the role of fishers comes into focus. I have about a 50% success rate in getting people to keep bears from being naturally attracted to where people recreate due to human food and salmon. The worst violators are Alaska and Yukon residents. The most common replies I receive to my initial recommendations are: “I know all about bears,” “I have been coming here for 15 years,” “do you have any authority to write tickets?”, “I pay taxes and bears don’t,” “it’s only Tips or Pixie or Boo Boo,” etc. People regularly start fishing when it’s too dark to even see their surroundings in the morning. I am much more successful with visitors from distant locations in part because they respect what I have to say and what I am trying to do. Also, fishers from outside the region see the rare components that make up this corridor, and show a much greater appreciation. Some local fishers are motivated by the concern that the river will be closed to fishing. It has been a pleasure to meet many of the fishers as individuals and as families. It would be rewarding to see humans act consistently in order to ensure future access to fishing. Most fishers have avoided using the far side of the river, leaving it open for bears and respecting private property rights. The common quote I hear is that the far side is the bears’ side. This is where I see the majority of the bears, and almost all of my sow/cub sightings. People currently have access to the lake with watercraft. The road offers access to one side of the river. People fish Lutak Inlet by boat and from shore. The most dangerous and least controlled fishing location is the far shore of the river from the Culture Camp to the lake. This area is accessed by boat, which affords fishers plenty of opportunity to use the lake instead. The far side of the river above the Culture Camp is also routinely used by bears as a safe location to travel and feed. People choosing to recreate on the far side of the river pose one of the greatest concerns, from my observations. Fish remains and garbage are continuing problems. I collect an average of 1 white kitchen garbage bag of trash during the busy fishing days. I have seen bears, gulls, fish, and crows tangled in fishing line, lures, and plastic this fall. Campers Campers have by and large cooperated with the goals of this working group by camping in established campgrounds or in areas outside the Chilkoot River corridor. I know this was a contentious issue, and long-term Yukon users feel particularly put upon by this. But I do feel it is a positive step in giving the bears some opportunity to use the corridor in relative peace for part of the night. People are on the river corridor from before first light until well after dark. The bears are forced off the river during the day by fishers and photographers on both sides of the river. People are routinely spotlighting bears after dark when they do finally have an opportunity to feed. It is obvious people know they are harassing bears because they try to shut off the spotlight and leave when I turn on my headlights and approach their vehicle. People are

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mobile, have secure homes, and come to the Chilkoot to recreate. Bears have a few months to feed, while trying to raise young, and have no other options about where to live. Currently, campers have the options of a state campground on site, private campgrounds on Lutak road and in town, as well as pull-offs on Lutak road and the Haines Highway. We are asking for approximately 1 mile of road to be left for wildlife at night. Recommendations Much has been done to improve conditions on the Chilkoot River. Consensus has been reached on important issues. We are now at a point where decisions must be made on how the corridor will be managed. Do not wait until next spring to consider funding sources for further on-site positions in 2003 and beyond. Continue the momentum and the solid foundations we have built this year. The monitor position can serve several public functions at once if organized properly. The monitor should have first aid training and equipment, basic car repair equipment in an easily recognizable marked vehicle, direct and reliable communication to EMS and enforcement in Haines, a background in natural and cultural history, and most importantly, the ability to enforce regulations. I see violations on a daily basis and am constantly frustrated at my inability to correct the unethical, inappropriate behavior. When I was first hired for this position and voiced my concern about a lack of immediate, on-site follow-up and enforcement, I was told I could place a call to town and get help. Of course by the time I drive to the ferry terminal, try to find the appropriate person, and explain the situation, then wait for a physical presence on the river, the events or parties involved are over and gone. If I am forced to leave the river to seek help, then even my presence is drawn away from the issue. The result is that I normally am forced to do what I can and take notes on the incident. To date there is no real follow-up or action that then occurs as a result of my extra time and effort. I do not know of a single citation issued on the Chilkoot since I started. Education has had a clear and positive impact on human behavior; but education cannot stand alone if one hundred percent compliance is to be achieved. Most of the irresponsible, illegal, and selfish behavior I have personally witnessed takes place where people are brought into close contact with bears. The bridge, weir, road, and stretch of river from the Culture Camp to the lake mouth are the usual hotspots, though each area changes in priority depending on the time of the season, and the human use and focus at that time. Having specific parking, fishing, wildlife watching, garbage, and bathroom areas would help. These are long-term concerns pertaining to the Chilkoot River corridor. The following list does not contain a complete account of all the human impacts on the area, and is not just related to the bear monitor position. 1. The entire area is being used as a toilet. I personally see people (mostly fishers) enter the

woods on a daily basis. The Tlingit cultural features are serving as the main repository. There is little respect for the sanctity of the cemetery located by the bridge. There is a lack of respect for posted areas and private property. Human waste, trespassing, garbage, vandalism, and potential injury/lawsuits are the results.

2. Continued erosion into the river from numerous trails, which result in impacts to vegetation

and wildlife. I observe daily siltation in the river while collecting garbage and talking to visitors. This is obvious by silt being present on trash that had been deposited within the last day. Siltation from erosion has a direct impact on the survival rate of salmon eggs.

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3. A definite problem exists with personal conveyances such as low-flying aircraft endangering themselves and others, fast-water kayaks being used in very close proximity to feeding bears, and hovercraft that displace marine mammals, birds, and fish. I have watched such craft run over archaeological sites and ignore other traditional user groups (such as fishers) while running the entire length of the corridor from the estuary to the lake. The air traffic poses the greatest danger, often flying in the presence of hundreds of birds swirling over the corridor during salmon runs, and flying so low that the plane has to follow the course of the river rather than flying over the moraine proper. I have observed this on several occasions, and had concerned people approach me to inquire if such planes were having engine trouble.

4. Parking and people blocking off the road are most serious on cruise ship days with so many

commercial vehicles, and when bears are spotted by wildlife viewers in large RVs and sport utility vehicles. The ferry system will routinely offload dozens of eager tourists with each arrival. This quickly overloads existing conditions, and though the majority of these visitors are eager for information and happy to comply, it still adds a lot of stress to already crowded conditions.

5. There is a range of inconsistent behavior on the part of all commercial operators and their

employees. I have had to personally follow-up my initial meetings with owners and operators as I continue to see behaviors that are a cause for concern. These people stand out in sharp focus for the public, and I have often had independent visitors say that what they were doing must be right because they see the professionals doing it. Commercial operations must be held to high standards. They educate through words and actions. Profit, a feeling of personal ownership rights, laziness, and client expectations are the reasons for the actions I have witnessed. This is a major contribution to increased human use and impacts on the corridor. It is directly associated with the habituation and food conditioning process. All operators must comply with enforceable standards of behavior. As a whole however, there is a noticeable improvement from the majority of tour operators taking people out to view wildlife, since they have complied with recommendations by keeping their passengers in or next to vehicles during close-range viewing. Certain individuals have been consistently ethical and asked for feedback. I am personally impressed and grateful for their presence. A very few have shown no change in behavior and are a liability to your ongoing efforts.

People will regularly tell me they heard about the Chilkoot Corridor from friends, the internet, books, travel guides, radio shows, and advertising. People will continue to come in ever-greater numbers and have a greater impact than already exists. Just as the Chilkat draws people from around the globe to see “the Valley of the Eagles,” the Chilkoot offers much more in a much smaller area. You are sitting on a gold mine in potential visitor interest. You are also sitting on a powder keg when someone is seriously harmed and all potential landowners and managers are slapped with huge lawsuits and negative publicity. Making the tough decisions and finding the money then will be too late. This is such an opportunity to be proactive, plan for the future and see the fruits of the current efforts pay off in long-term gains. The main barriers to harmony on the Chilkoot Corridor are human induced. The time to act as a mature, responsible, visionary group is now. We have a great opportunity to create a world-class, unique, multifaceted, and protected showcase now. But we must keep the momentum, act now, and rise to the occasion.

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Department of Fish and Game Bear Monitor /Planning Position, August 2002

Megan Sherman, Fish and Wildlife Technician III

Summary of first two weeks of monitoring, and recommendations for continued effort.

In just a few days, there was marked

improvement of visitor behavior and

improved control of crowd activity in the

presence of the bears.

Starting August the week of August 11th, I devoted several evenings to walking the Chilkoot

River Corridor road initiating conversations with anglers, campers, independent visitors, and bear

viewers. I attempted to provide “the public” with information, educate them about bear/ human

behavior, control crowds, direct traffic, and call attention to inappropriate river user behavior. I

explained the Chilkoot River Corridor user guidelines, and regulations, and handed out a list of those

guidelines. Judging by people’s level of usage of the area, I went into more or less detail of the laws

pertaining to feeding of wildlife and the definition of wildlife harassment. There were a variety of

approaches and responses and I recorded most of these interactions. In just a few days, there was

marked improvement of visitor behavior and improved control of crowd activity in the presence of the

bears. There were less carcasses left for, and attained by bears, visibly altering the bears’ feeding

pattern. Anglers left the fishing area in the presence of a bear more quickly, and calmly. More space

was given along the road to bears who were near the road. More people stayed near to, or in their

vehicles in the presence of the bears. When

the monitor was not present, carcasses, and

trash were abandoned, and bears had ready

access to coolers, visitors’ lunches, and

visitors entered into extreme close proximity

to the bears

I conclude from this short experimental period, that having a bear monitor can help prevent the

bears from having access to human food and fish remains, and therefore can help prevent bears from

becoming conditioned to this food source. Some of the improvements were maintained for the few days

that the targeted visitors stayed, and there were widespread improvements in the way the tours were

handled. However, many of the visitors are transient. Therefore a continuous, full time presence is

necessary to be effective. This is a prime time in the life of the cubs frequenting the area to determine if

it is possible to prevent the cubs from becoming irreversibly conditioned to human food remains. It is

evident to me now, that the implementation of this bear monitor is one large factor in whether or not

these cubs will be able to learn to get food by means other than humans.

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Only once or twice, did I get any resistance. Once from a local who said “I know everything

there is to know about bears”, and had obviously had a few. Another brisk response came when I told a

woman not to pursue the bear, which was between she and her angler husband in the river. One

woman had a difficult time understanding that grey water would attract bears, and said “The bears

didn’t get it last night and he came right through here!” Several people discussed their experiences in

other parts of the state where bear viewing is much more controlled, and they felt safer in those places

(i.e.Denali, Katmai). Some of the tour operators seemed relieved that a monitor was there, and shared

their stories about tourists on their tours who wanted to pet the bears, etc. It seemed that having

someone there took the pressure off of them a bit. However, I feel that the tour operators need to take

responsibility for the safety of their group, as well as educate their clients. They are a primary user

impact on the bears' habitat and need to control their clients. Comments such as "The independent

travelers get too close to the bears", "I'm glad you are doing this", " I didn't know there were bears

here!", were common. The majority of the people with whom I spoke, when asked if there was one

thing they would like to see at the Chilkoot River Corridor, said " Having someone like you walking

around educating people and teaching people to respect the bears". Some people suggested more signs,

and more enforcement of fish snagging.

During this first week, the “No Overnight Camping” restriction was enforced for the first time.

This measure seemed to be anticipated and reluctantly accepted by the regular users. A common

response was “I’m not surprised. We’ve seen it coming”.

This measure was a significant piece to the management

puzzle. This eliminates a large source of food and waste

attraction for the bears, and creates a more controllable

bear use area. There are many small ways this position’s

effectiveness can be improved. It would be helpful to be

The majority of people with whom I

spoke responded positively, and were

overtly supportive of the effort to

educate, inform, and “control the

chaos”, as one visitor put it.

able to block off a couple of high-use “bear crossing”

swaths of road, using road blocks and no parking signs. It would also be handy to have a couple of

cones and surveyor flagging for impromptu crowd/ tour control when a bear is in close proximity to the

road, to block off a portion of road within which vehicles may not stop. A megaphone would be helpful

for the times when a bear is approaching a group of anglers who cannot see the bear, and cannot hear

above the noise of the river. The bear monitor should be equipped with a satellite phone and a firearm.

It would be valuable for this person to have ticket writing capabilities, as it is awkward in the

moment when someone is blatantly breaking the law, to have to call a trooper who may or may not be

able to respond. This enforcement element should be de-emphasized, and only implemented as an

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extreme measure. However this is an important component to the future establishment of the bear

monitor position. I was able to communicate with the Fish and Wildlife Trooper Pat McMullen and

called on him one time to help deal with a bear harassment incident. However the harasser was long

gone, by the time the trooper arrived on the scene. A man standing within 15 feet of the two yearling

cubs with his large shepherd/lab dog, getting his picture taken, let his dog off leash directly toward the

bears. When told that he should get his dog, and that he was too close to the bears he responded “ I

pay taxes, the bears don’t. I can do whatever I want”. At that moment the bears had a crowd of about

twenty people standing within 20 feet. A few well placed tickets would help prevent such behavior.

I also suggest that there be a second monitor on duty

part time if possible (volunteer position?). This is necessary to

be effective in crowd control situations, particularly when a bear

is in transit. While one area is under control the bear is moving

to another and it is impossible to uphold the guidelines in more

than one area at a time. I experimented with delegating crowd

control responsibilities to a few people on one side of a bear road cro

other side, and this worked until the bear traveled further down the ro

my scope of control.

In summary,

1. There is strong evidence that supports that having a full tim

cubs from obtaining people food and angler's carcasses, and helps im

2. This effort reflects positively on the Department of Fish an

willingness of the Division of Wildlife Conservation to take action to

3. There are ways to build upon the basic framework of this p

effective by the following:

a. have the bear monitor on duty full time, and possi

volunteer monitor

b. block off swaths of road for bear crossings, and us

control to maintain safe distance from bears

c. give the monitor ticket writing abilities

d. improve tour guide training and implementation of

…the bear monitor on duty

full time, and possibly having

a second part time volunteer

monitor.

ssing area, while I dealt with the

ad and was surrounded beyond

e bear monitor helps prevent the

prove public safety.

d Game and supports the

protect wildlife and public safety.

osition and make it more

bly having a second part time

e cones and flagging for crowd

CRC guidelines.

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8/31/04

Dear Joel and Polly,

I just got back from my first visit to Alaska, and I am still in utter amazement of the beauty

and wildlife. I am actually writing in regards to my first bear sighting at Chilkoot Lake. I

am from Boston, MA and was up visiting a friend in Haines. I was truly worried about

seeing a bear on my own and not know how to react etc, etc. Well at Chilkoot I ran into

Anthony Crupi who was there monitoring. A brown bear showed up but I felt really safe

because Anthony was there telling me everything and informing me how to react and where

to go. We ended up watching the bear for about an hour along with 4 other brown bears that

made an appearance. It was so great! It was great having Anthony there to do crowd

control so that the bear can do her thing and not be overwhelmed by the people in her home.

I just truly wanted to let you know what an amazing experience it was for me and if there is

anything I can do to help please let me know.

Kelly Fernandez

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10/20/2004

Dear Mr. Joel Telford,

I send you this letter, to understand the point of view of many tourists who come every year to Haines to see the wonderful wildlife. They have lost in their countries about 100 years ago, when wild animals were shot without any regulation and any kind of protection. Hope that we all (Europe and America) have learned from the past and will do anything to protect the last wildlife refuges.

I apologize my sometimes incorrect English and wish you all the best in your job

Greetings from Barcelona

Christian Romero

In Harmony with the Bears

I am from Barcelona (Spain) and I have stayed in Haines on the Chilkoot River Campground for some days in September. I enjoyed it a lot and found in Haines one of the most beautiful places of our 5000 miles journey.

I came to Haines only due to the information of our Spanish travel agency, who told us that Haines is a very good place to see bears catching salmon along a river called “Chilkoot River”. And so I arrived at Haines with the illusion to see a lot of wild bears in their natural habitat. As I have already been in Canada and Alaska last year, I knew that the best time to observe the bears is early in the morning and in the evening. So when I arrived at the Chilkoot River the first evening, there were already a lot of cars and people waiting to see the bears. Some inside their cars and most outside of their cars and some few just some feet away from the water. We stayed on the top of our truck camper. This evening no bear appeared on the river. Next day we came back at 6 a.m. and when we arrived at the river near the “bear crossing signs” there were already about 10 cars(some with their headlights on) waiting for the bears. Then finally we saw the first bears in the dark morning light -wonderful. Some minutes later we saw 11 bears at the same time (sows and cubs) eating salmons and playing in the water. Some minutes later we saw only a sow with her 2 cubs on the other riverside and lost the rest. Suddenly, just 20 feet from our camper a sow appeared with her 3 cubs crossing slowly the road from the river down to the forest. There were some people outside their cars, perhaps only 10 feets away from the bears .One minute later another young brown bear appeared on the other side of our camper (only 6 feets away) going in the same direction from the river down into the forest. We enjoyed it a lot from the top of our camper, but some people standing outside their cars seemed a little bit afraid. The only person who organized all the people , was one man (bear monitor) with a bicycle. But I think that was not enough for such a long road and for so many tourists to guarantee the safety for both, tourists and bears. In another wonderful place we have been one week before called Hyder (AK) . There are working three Rangers at the same time and the tourists have to stay on a special platform from where they can watch the bears. And we never have seen more than 5 bears at the same time in

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Fish Creek (Hyder). Neither one could see any fishermen at Fish Creek because fishing is not allowed there! Actually Hyder is living nearly only from the tourists coming from all over the world to observe the bears (brown and black bears) in the river.

In summer, during one day, there have been nearly 1000 persons on the platform – perhaps the number of persons has to be regulated in the future, so that the bears will not be disturbed too much. Today the people in Hyder respect the bears and live in harmony with them – of course hunting bears is also prohibited in the whole valley! So nobody can shoot a bear which has been observed during the whole summer season by hundreds of tourists and got used to be observed by people .I’ve heard that it is allowed to shoot these same bears which we have observed at Chilkoot River , only a ¼ mile away from the river – unbelieveble !!! A bear used to stay near tourists, can even be shot by a five-year old child.

There are people coming to Haines from more than 7000 miles away only to observe bears fishing salmons – all of them want to see a bear in their holidays ( not only one second perhaps near the highway). I have read a lot of holiday-diaries from people from all over the world, who have been in Alaska and for all of them the highlight of their journey was the moment when they saw a wild bear. The travel agencies here in Spain sell their holiday-packages for Alaska with the argument, that Alaska is the best and last place in the world to observe wild Grizzlies, black bears, wolves and other wildlife.

And most of this tourists who come Alaska, go first to the places, they think to have the best “ bear viewing “ opportunities.

I hope that when I will come back to Haines in some years to see the bears at the Chilkoot River, there will be a lot of them, and the people of Haines will live in harmony with the bears. I also hope that the whole area of Haines will be a “No Bear Hunting” area and your town will be famous all over the world for the good bear viewing opportunities.

Thank you,

Christian Romero

Barcelona, Spain

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Hello!

Last week we had the chance to watch the bears in Haines/Chilkoot Lake, and it was wonderful. But then we were wondering about a couple of things. Please excuse our bad English because we are from Germany, specially coming into Alaska to see the wildlife. We have already been in Brooks Camp/Katmai and this is one of the reasons we write this mail. There (in Katmai) we had the impression that the bears were not too much disturbed by the people who were coming there. Best proof to us seems to be that we watched a sow nursing two cubs maybe 5 meters away directly below one of the platforms. And we saw a lot of male bears. Now as we were in Haines we were wondering that with that easy access to salmon we did not see more than 5 bears the same time and only sows with cubs, no males. Could it be that the many cars and RV's (we saw at least 20 cars that evening!) disturb the animals? (Ourselves, we did park the car at the entrance and walked in). Wouldn't it be much better for the bears (and even for the visitors) to close that road? Maybe only for a certain time like mid august to the end of the salmon season? Or even only from 5 p.m. till the next morning at 9 a.m.? To make something like a little parking at the mouth of the river(near that road-bridge) and let the people go in on ranger-guided tours. We would like to pay even a certain entrance fee like 15 $ per person and evening, that would help the bears and make the rangers paid ?! These are just some questions, we know that we are not specialists, but we thought we just let you know about our opinion, may be that helps making plans for the future. We also know that it is complicated to close a road(campground, fishing etc.) but I think there will be good solutions! Thank you very much for your attention! Best regards Reinhard Zwerger Rafaela Kirchmann from Germany

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Joel Telford, Haines District Ranger Alaska State Parks joel_telford@dnr.state.ak.us cc: Polly Hessing, Assistant Area Biologist Alaska Department of Fish and Game polly_hessing@fishgame.state.ak.us cc: Anthony Crupi, Chilkoot Bear Monitor chilkootbear@yahoo.com Subject: The Chilkoot River Recreational Area At the end of August, I was fortunate to have stumbled onto a unique wildlife experience in the Chilkoot River Recreational Area. My wife and I were spending some extra time in the Haines area to allow smoke from Alaska’s wildfires to dissipate before chartering a small plane to fly over Glacier Bay NP and Mt. Fairweather for photographic purposes. We happened to drive up to Chilkoot Lake and while eating lunch overheard other people talking of bear sightings at dusk in this area. So we waited and were rewarded with the appearance of a bear sow and two cubs as the light faded. Thus started a memorable 3 day photo adventure photographing grizzlies as they dined on salmon. During this time, we met Anthony Grupi with whom we spent some time discussing the bears, the onlookers, and the opportunities for photography, as well as possible problems and possible solutions involving the potential increase in tourism to this remarkable place. Anthony asked me to send my comments/opinions to you. I am a part-time professional wildlife and nature photographer with 15+ years of experience. I would like to pass on some ideas involving the Chilkoot River bears which I shared with Anthony. My first couple of thoughts are the obvious, protection of the bears and their habitat. Once that is assured, education of the public, commercial vendors, and nearby landowners is vital to the area’s success. 1) Katmai NP’s ideas of using raised platforms for viewing at prime hotspots is something that could be done along the Chilkoot River, in fact the area of terrain is similar in that both areas are controlling a short stretch of river with human habitation at one end, and both deal with similar recreational pursuits, such as fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and photography. 2)Anthony was concerned about the impact of vehicles driving back and forth on the bear’s behaviors which directly influence how much feeding actually gets done. The typical tourist will definitely be reluctant to give up the safety of their vehicle when viewing bears, but it’s been my experience that vehicles are not a necessity for safety. Education and proper behavior however is vital to one’s safety. By closing the road to vehicles for the first and last couple of hours of daylight, and allowing properly educated people in on foot in small groups

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(Katmai’s minimum is 2, Canada’s National Parks minimum is 6), safety would not be compromised and the bears feeding opportunities would be enhanced. The groups could be chaperoned by volunteers or unchaperoned if the group is large enough. At the same time, the public’s experience will be enhanced as well by the special precautions they would have to take while walking between platforms. Because the road is paved, the distances could be managed relatively easily even by handicapped people using electric wheelchairs, or by photographers (heavy lenses, multiple cameras, and tripods), and anyone in between those extremes. A more expensive alternative would be to provide an electric powered shuttle vehicle. After watching the bears over the 3 days I spent there I noticed there were some individual bears who were unconcerned about the presence of people but others who were disturbed easily from loud exhaust tones from some vehicles with custom exhausts or diesel engines. There was a tendency for some people to behave like they would at a zoo, which in this setting is entirely inappropriate, hence the need for at least a minimum of educational signs or better a short discourse by a person of authority. In summary, this is a special place that can be a wonderful educational opportunity for the public. In general, I personally like the freedom of making my own decisions and having a minimum of rules and regulations, but the relative ease of access to this place means dealing with large numbers of people. Inevitably, a small percentage of these visitors will not behave in a suitable manner and some rules and regulations will unfortunately need to exist. Sincerely, Don Grall www.freshairphotos.com