During the summer of 2005 we worked in cooperation with the Sitka Ranger District (USFS) on brown bear Pack Creek Zoological Area (PCZA) Brown Bear project
During the winter of 2005 we completed a Landscape-scale assessment of brown bear habitat with an emphasis on providing management guidance for recreation planning. This work was conducted at the Pack Creek Zoological Area on Admiralty island and is being used by Forest Service managers for long-term planning.
click here to view a .pdf version of the report for this project. click here to view a .pdf version of poster presented at the 2005 ESRI conference. click here to view the map gallery for this project.
The purpose of this project was to field test survey methods for rapid habitat assessment and signs of its use by brown bears (brown bear quick cruise1), and to provide conservation groups and management agencies high resolution information relevant to bear habitat management in the Berners Bay estuary and near-shore uplands (Fig. 1). Berners Bay was an ideal place to perform a trial of the brown bear quick cruise (BBQC) because it enabled us to add new habitat variables to our existing test record, including: large mainland river location, the presence of black bears, and the presence of moose. Although SEAWEAD did not conduct this research with the intention of gathering data suitable for detailed analysis, we were able to survey critical seasonal feeding areas and traditional travel routes. The resultant data are relevant to an environmental assessment of a proposed road in the area. Funding and in-kind support were provided by Friends of Berners Bay, the Skaggs Foundation, Sierra Club Juneau Chapter, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Field crew support was provided by Ayme Johnson and Aaron Wells.
SEAWEAD naturalists conducted a brown bear habitat use survey to provide ecological context for a bear/human interaction study, and site intensive information for State and Federal management considerations. The methods were designed to gather descriptive information on the character and quality of the habitat mosaic in the lower Lake Eva watershed, and signs of its use by brown bears. The work involved mapping plant and stream characteristics, mapping perennial bear sign (e.g. trails, sign trees & day beds), and surveying for ephemeral bear sign (e.g. scat, bed activity & signs of feeding). The focus area encompassed approximately 350 acres of the lower Lake Eva watershed (Figure 1). Reconnaissance surveys were conducted at the Lake Eva inlet and in several neighboring drainages to provide a landscape level perspective.