Kermodei study flawed, environmentalists claim Bears don't need big protected area, . ) firm’s report says By SALWA FARAH KERMODEI BEARS may not need protection from logging to maintain their numbers, according to a new report, ; But environmentalists say the review —- paid for by Western Forest Products — is suspect because the company plans to log the mid-coast area home to the largest concentration of the rare white bears. ‘Having the logging company do the study is like having the fox guard- ing the hen house,”’ said Wayne McCrory, bear biologist and coor- dinator of the Spirit Bear Park proposal for the Valhalla Wilderness Society. **The study down plays the impact of logging on bears and on salmon,” McCrory added. The report, conducted for Western Forest Products by environmental consultants Donald A. Blood and As- sociates, suggests that the Kermodei bear population is not dependent on the establishment of an expansive park network, “Logging in its early stages is pro- ductive in terms of bear food if it’s cartied off properly,’’ said Blood, ad- ding that large areas are not necessary to ensure the survival of the bear. The report notes that precise in- formation on bear numbers is hard to come by. The province’s black bear popula- tion is estimated: at 140,000, but biologists have no precise count of the animals. Estimates of numbers of Kermodeis, one of 16 subspecies of the black bear, are even barder to establish, The white bears roam an area that strétches from the Princess Royal [s- lands on the northern coast of B.C. and as far east as Hazelton, but the highest numbers are found on Princess Royal and Gribbell Islands and around Terrace. “There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to the distribution of the Kermodei,”’ said Blood. Another complication is the wide variation in the colour of Kermoadei Bears, Only a small number have the characteristic white colour Of the about 150 bears on Princess Royal Island, fewer than 20 of them are eslimated to be white Kermodei bears, the review says. Blood also explained that there is no doubt that the advanced second stage of growth after an area is logged is not supportive 1o wildlife, including bear and deer. The report also found that the black bear is adaptable in its choice of den sites, claiming stumps, and butts of non-yarded logs as home for the winter. As a biologist, McCrory disputes the findings and calls them speculative. B Informed: Free phone and $25.95 a month cellutar plan based on a 36- BC. TELresidential number and apply only to call made on the BC TEL primary shone bill, Rate of 55¢ per minute during non-free daytime periods, Annual radio system access fee of Old growth trees are the bears’ best den sites, claims McCrory, adding that there has been incidents of loggers in Terrace cutting down trees with new born bears still inside. Dr. Kermit Ritland a botanist with the University of British Columbia forest sciences department says the is- sue of logging and bears is a complex one. “It ultimately depends on whether forage is lost or gained,”’ said Ritland. “The bear population may go up in the short term but then go down when the canopy closes.” He added that it is difficult to get a Kermodei census from the air because of the dense tree canopy. Ritland will be receiving a $70,000 grant from Forest Renewal B.C. with additional money from Pacific Forest Products lo do a more extensive study. The work will involve collecting fur samples from the bush and comparing the DNA of the Kermodei on Princess Royal Island to neighbouring black bears on the mainland. Princess Royal Island is within the tree farm licence held by Western Forest Products, It's also within an area of the coast that Greenpeace is calling the ‘‘Great Bear Rainforest’ in an effort to pet most of B,C.’s mid and north coast preserved. The Valhalla Wilderness Society and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee are also campaigning for the protection of more coastal rain- forest. 1 month transferable contract. New customers only, OAC. Home Free calls unlimited in length - Mobility network. Two-in-One Plan: New 36-month contracts required on both primary phone an $48, long distance charges and taxes extra, Early cancellation fees apply on all 36-manth contract The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 3, 1997 - A7 First Impressions Are Important That's why on the first day of school you want to be sure to look your best with a great new look from Images. We specialize in precision cuts, styles, colouring and perming Back To School Feature Litre of Selected Shampoo & Conditioner For only $ 127” Make Those Back To School Appointments Now! 4652 Laxelle Ave. Terrace Ph: 635-4997 maximum 30 calls per manth - local calls only. Home Free calls must be to primary custamer’s d secondary $9.95 phone. Secondary phone shares primary phone plan and appears on s. Limited time offer.