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For earlier materials see Table of Contents

January 20th

Khutzeymateen

Management Plan Public input – Tuesday at Highliner

 

 

Of course there was the obligatory ‘Bears come first’ rhetoric  --- but managing people and $$$ was primary discussion

Good participation with tourism charters carrying most of the discussion

 

Useful PDF above on WWW at much higher resolution 2.4 megs

Over view

Map on right shows the recently approved grizzly management area (no kill zone) so in theory Kutz grizzlies can be source of new recruits into larger area

Map left also on web shows only Mouse Creek (orange arrow) presently roaded (Green is Kutz river valley

Immediately below is the Khutzeymateen Park (3) and the new Conservancies bordering the Khutzeymateen Inlet --- the smaller areas marked (2) are for future log dumps and roads to access logs outside protected areas (map from management plan PDF – note online version Plan is not latest (January 2010)

 

 

Fly in lodge (Palmerville) located at pink arrow map right – the areas marked 2 are reserved for future log dumps and roads --- the K’tzim-a-deen Ranger Station is at the boundary between Park and conservancies – and drew a good bit of discussion: costs, locations etc – especially the 50$/ tourist fee that helps fund the Gitsi’is Ranger (more later)

Below shows Ranger station (green arrow) & Palmerville (pink arrow)

 

 

Should this Tourism vessel with Cruise ship passengers pay 50$ each – argued less impact than a Kayaker

Different zones to be managed

More on these zonings later in week

 

Bears First Rhetoric

The presenter (Jamie Hahn) gave ‘anecdotal evidence’ to support proposition that habituated bears were not necessarily a bad thing especially since ‘no hunting (of grizzlies) allowed

I found the biology (as opposed to human uses of area) in short supply – though again anecdotal evidence given to support that up to 50 grizzlies now using the area – thus trending up and argues for success of current management practices (or a couple of good salmon runs a few years ago)

 

Again an argument for habituated grizzlies – allows close ups without undue stress according to proponents

Not too sure how much of this wanted

 

 

But what attracts the bears to the ‘viewing areas’ ---- sedge meadows

Again the biology ws not treated at the public presentation – though a good semi-technical review was given as a hand out --- I will report on it later this week

 

 

Herring & Eulachon

Presumably the spring return of forage fish has brought migrating eagles into the area in anticipation of a feed --- here 6-12 eagles ‘socializing’ in a front yard on 3rd Ave --- they seemed to think there was ‘feed’ in the vacant lot and they were spending time ‘arguing’ among selves to whom it belonged

Created by LG on 18/1/2010

Last updated on Wednesday, January 20, 2010