California Department Of Fish & Wildlife Updates Management And Hunting Plan For State’s 60,000 Black Bears

photo credit: California Department of Fish & Wildlife

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released its updated black bear conservation and management plan on Monday, the agency said.

The update to the plan — the first in 27 years — is the result of years of field research using the latest scientific tools and the collection and review of comments and feedback from over 5,000 groups and individuals.

The new plan has two primary goals, CDFW officials said. The first is to implement a conservation and management plan allowing black bears to thrive across the state.

According to state wildlife officials, the California bear population is estimated at 60,000 statewide, with the bulk of the state’s bears calling Northern California home. In the Bay Area, most bears live in Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties. Nearby Mendocino County has one of the highest populations of black bears, along with other North Coast counties.

The second goal is to provide opportunities for public viewing and education about black bears. It also seeks to minimize human and black bear conflicts and maintain regulations for black bear hunting.

CDFW allows for the hunting of 1,700 bears during the season, which takes place from mid-August through December. Hunting regulations and policies have not changed in the new plan, the agency said.

The new plan features the latest information about black bear biology and ecology, conservation and management framework, population monitoring, adaptive management and research.

“This plan allows us to employ the best available science to understand populations and make informed management and regulatory decisions going forward to ensure black bears thrive into the future and can be enjoyed by all Californians,” said Arjun Dheer, CDFW’s statewide black bear coordinator.