Who knew that Waterproof Cases could help protect Grizzly Bears?

Study uses GPS unit and donated Aquapac waterproof GPS cases to collect and track human interaction with the grizzly bear population in Yellowstone National Park. Visitors given waterproof case protected GPS units that track their interaction with bears, even if they never actually see the bear - their interaction is still recorded.

10/17/2006 (PRWEB) Jacksonville, Fla -- CS ideas donated Aquapac Waterproof GPS Cases for an ongoing grizzly bear study. "CS ideas wants to make a difference and when Tyler Coleman called with his project, we just had to find a way to get involved," says Toi Sangthong, President of CS ideas. Tyler is conducting study to measure the impact that humans have on the grizzly bear population at Yellowstone National Park. "The objective of this study is to determine if four of the Yellowstone Bear Management Area closures are effective at protecting grizzly bears from human recreation and impact." says Coleman. Human visitors to the park are issued a GPS unit that's protected inside a waterproof case. Visitors can easily carry the GPS with them throughout their visit, the GPS collects data, and makes satellite contact uninterrupted by the waterproof case. Further, the visitor is unaffected because they don't have to keep the GPS dry - because the Aquapac GPS Case is 100% waterproof and will even float if it is dropped in the water. The PRO Sports Series Aquapac GPS Case was the perfect choice for the parks visitors, it's made of a military grade material and includes a neoprene adjustable armband - making it easy for visitors to actually wear the GPS on their arm or leg and still access all the buttons and controls. See the full press release on GPS Waterproof Cases & Bears

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Title: Human recreational impact on grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park

Study Description: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of human recreation on grizzly bear movement and habitat selection.

In 1975, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the grizzly bear as a threatened species. Yellowstone National Park is considered one of the most critical areas for grizzly recovery in the lower 48 states. In 1983, in an effort to enhance grizzly bear recovery, Yellowstone National Park implemented a grizzly Bear Management Area program that placed greater emphasis on habitat protection in backcountry areas. The Bear Management Area program restricted recreational use in areas with seasonal concentrations of grizzly bears. The purpose behind these closures was to protect grizzly bears during times of the year when they are especially active and searching for important food sources and to protect humans from potentially dangerous encounters.

The objective of this study is to determine if four of the Yellowstone Bear Management Area closures are effective at protecting grizzly bears from human recreation and impact. Grizzly bears are a shy and reclusive animal that often flees human presence. When a bear encounters a human in the backcountry bears often abandon a food resource and may miss out on much needed nutrition. In addition, it is important to protect human recreational visitors from bear encounters. Bears that repeatedly interact with humans may lose their innate fear of people and may become habituated to their presence. This study will help us better understand and manage areas of the park that are both critical to grizzly recovery and popular with human visitors.

The study will consist of trapping and radio collaring a large number of grizzly bears that live around Yellowstone Lake. The bear radio collars are designed to take continuous location information all summer. This will provide us with excellent information about habitat selection and movement. In addition, we would like to track the use of human visitors. This will be accomplished by giving visitors a hand held global positioning system (GPS). When activated GPS units easily track human movement and will take continuous locations. An overlay of bear and human activity patterns in the same area will allow us to determine areas of potential conflict and adapt our management strategies to further protect grizzly bears from people and to protect people from grizzly bears.

A constant struggle for bear managers is trying to balance increasing human recreation with grizzly bear conservation. The results of this study will allow Yellowstone National Park and surrounding agencies to make adjustments to allow for safe human recreational opportunities and grizzly bear protection. Ultimately we would like to maintain our current level of grizzly bear protection and at the same time not limit someone’s ability to enjoy Yellowstone National Park.

CS ideas has been instrumental in providing some of the necessary equipment to assist with this project. They have donated a large number of GPS unit cases. These cases are important because they allow a human visitor to recreate and collect location information in an unimpeded manner. The cases provide protection to the GPS unit and provide the unit enough security to allow the unit to maintain a satellite contact. Without the help from CS ideas we would have a difficult time collecting important human use information that is critical to this study.

Tyler Coleman
Yellowstone National Park
Bear Management Office Wildlife Technician and
Montana State University, Department of Ecology, MS Candidate