Learning to live with bears in Sonoma County

I am often asked about the animals that are in our Regional Parks. What kind? How many? Where? When? So, a few months ago, when I met Meghan Walla-Murphy, who was working with Regional Parks on a bear project, I asked if we could meet to talk more about bears in the parks. Meghan had been working on a project at Hood Mountain Regional Park to protect bears, hikers and campers. She is a driving force of the North Bay Bear Collaborative, a long-term process and a model for other regions.

Since 2012, there have been increased bear sightings in Sonoma County, but the bears have not yet become habituated. However, the same sow has been seen over time with two sets of cubs, so we can infer that bears are beginning to reside here, not just pass through. With more wildlife cameras, we are better able to see them. The bears here are black bears - Ursus americanus. The question is how can we welcome them.

The SCRP Deputy Director had worked on a bear project in Montana, so it was natural for the two to collaborate. The bear collaborative began in 2016 with collecting and mapping data on bear sightings. Several organizations came together to work on this effort - Fish and Wildlife, Pepperwood Preserve, Regional Parks, Audubon Canyon, Kashia Pomo and the Sonoma Ecology Center. Private landowners are also interested in the work of the Bear Collaborative. Cameras have been installed in Hood Mountain Regional Park, Audubon Canyon Ranch and Pepperwood Preserve, and have documented a bear with her cubs. After the Tubbs Fire, their survival was uncertain, but mother and a cub were seen on camera after the fire.

Sonoma County Regional Parks’ bear projects focus mainly on outreach and education. Parks staff are trained to spot the signs of bear presence and advise on securing property. They get lots of questions from park visitors. Bears are a part of our ecosystem. They distribute seeds; they help the soil with their digging. They defecate marine nutrients in the soil from eating salmon and other fish. Learning how to coexist is key. SCRP is also helping to map evidence of bears, and documenting the interface with people. SCRP will work with youth, educating and training them around “citizen science” - tracking, filming, mapping and conservation. We also need to ensure habitat connectivity and identify locations where the bears are most common.

Protecting food resources such as orchards and vineyards is going to be key for our coexistence. Our bears love eating fruit. They eat a great deal of vegetation that can be helpful in preventing fires. Our county parks are bear-proofing food storage and garbage receptacles, so we don’t end up with the “Tahoe problem.” Electric fencing around orchards and vineyards helps deter the bears. Visitors need to keep food tightly contained when camping. Signage posted in parks and open spaces will communicate these precautions to park visitors.

The bear collaborative will use DNA analysis of hair snags on trees and brush and bear scat to identify and connect the population. Are the bears related? There will be efforts to work with tribal youth to record stories of bears from the elders, since we have been living with bears in California for a very long time. We should remember that bears are afraid of humans. Watch them from a respectful distance. Give them space so they can escape our presence.

If you are interested in learning more about the bears in Sonoma County, you might want to attend an informational meeting on Jan. 12 from 3-4 p.m. at the Robert Ferguson Observatory, 2605 Adobe Canyon Road in Kenwood. You might also check out the article written by Mary Callahan in The Press Democrat on Nov. 19, for more details about the North Bay Bear Collaborative.