Abstract 341 – Characteristics of Grizzly Bear Observations in the North Slope Oilfields,Alaska

Nils Pedersen, Todd J. Brinkman, Richard T. Shideler, Mark S. Lindberg, Scott M.
Brainerd

Managing the risk of unsafe human-bear interactions in the North Slope oilfields of Alaska
(USA) requires an understanding of where they occur and how to prevent them. To reduce
negative interactions, oilfield operators prepared bear interaction plans that included
systematic collection of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) observations. Between 1990 and 2014,
Oilfield Security Officers recorded 1,207 marked bear sightings using the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game’s (ADF&G) Grizzly Bear Sighting and Hazing Report (GBSHR) forms. Based on
previous research, ADF&G identified each marked bear and classified it as either food
conditioned (FC) or dependent on natural food (NF). Prior to deployment of bear-resistant
garbage containers around infrastructure between 1999 and 2001, bear access to food waste
was common within the area. We used spatial coordinates from GBSHRs to estimate changes in
mean distance between FC and NF bears and landscape features (facilities, roads, rivers,
landfill) before (1990–2000) and after (2001–2014) changes in waste management treatments.
Bear access to the landfill remained intermittent post treatment. We compared distances in
sightings between time periods using effect-size estimates and generated “hot spot” maps to
visualize changes in spatial distribution of sightings pre- and post-treatment. The waste
treatment increased the mean distance of bear sightings from facilities and roads and
concentrated FC-bear sightings around the landfill, where bear access to food waste persisted
post treatment. The treatment had a minimal effect on the mean distance of NF-bear sightings
near the landfill. Our study provides new information on the effects of waste management on
bear behavior and human-bear interactions within a large industrial complex. Our study also
demonstrates the utility of a systematic and active bear sighting report system for monitoring
bear activity in developed areas.