Colorado’s San Luis Valley Bear Management Planning
OutdoorHub 06.15.12
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is developing a management plan for black bears in the western San Luis Valley and is seeking comments from the public concerning bears in this part of the state.
To gather comments, the agency is holding a public meeting and posting an on-line survey.
The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m., June 26, at the South Fork Community Center, 254 Colorado Highway 149. Colorado Parks and Wildlife personnel will present information about what is known about the local bear population, on-going research and current bear management policies. Participants will be able to ask questions and make comments.
The on-line survey will be used to learn about people’s interactions and interests toward bears. Data and comments from the survey will be included in the management plan. That plan will focus on big game management units 68, 681, 682, 76, 79, 791, 80 and 81, an area that is known collectively as B-13. Counties included in the planning area are: Saguache, San Juan, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Conejos, Archuleta and Alamosa.
A draft of the management plan and the survey are posted on the Parks and Wildlife website. To read the draft plan, and to take the survey, go to:
http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/BigGame/HerdManagementDAUPlans/Pages/HerdManagementDAUPlans.aspx .
The bear management plan will be presented to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission in late fall.
Written comments about the plan and bear management can also be submitted to Stephanie Steinhoff, terrestrial biologist for the San Luis Valley at: stephanie.steinhoff@state.co.us ; or by mail to 0722 South County Road 1 East, Monte Vista, CO 81144.
