Julie Duval, Cameron McClelland, Karen Graham, Gordon Stenhouse

Decision-making is a crucial, but challenging element of effective conservation. Evidence-based decision-support tools can be used to translate research findings into practice, but published assessments of their use are limited. Grizzly Bear Tools (GBTools) is a toolkit for wildlife managers, industry resource managers, and government policymakers to aid decision-making on grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) populations and their habitats in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Here we review the GBTools suite, present case studies, and discuss learnings from 20 years of their development and implementation. All elements within the GBTools package are derived from published research conducted in the areas where the tools are implemented. The toolkit includes GIS-based tools to (i) map attributes relevant to bear ecology and survival (e.g., RSF, trophic resources, mortality risk, denning habitats), (ii) simulate development scenarios to compare and quantify their effects on these attributes and identify lower impact scenarios and mitigation actions, and (iii) assess landscape characteristics to support decisions on grizzly bear population and habitat recovery. GBTools also includes non-GIS tools such as genetic data repositories used to inform monitoring and wildlife management decisions. Since their development, GBTools have been used to regulate anthropogenic threats to grizzly bears, to aid in the design of forest management plans, to inform mining operation calendars, and for wildlife management actions, among other applications. We also discuss the challenges faced since the toolkit’s first release. These challenges serve to underscore how bridging the research-implementation gap requires collaborative approaches to develop tools that address real-world problems, buy-in and long-term commitment from different stakeholder groups, continued support for tool maintenance and user training, and efficient communication between tool developers, users, and regulators.