In early 2014, British Columbia, Canadian Political Liberals controversially re-opened the grizzly hunt in two pockets of the province in the Caribou and Kootenay hunting areas............The Mining Minister of this Province, Bill Bennett, was also given high-level briefings in early January to re-start the trophy hunt................ Provincial biologists(are they in on this scam--likely) calculated that grizzlies in the west Chilcotin wilderness were rising by 91 bears over a year prior.................. So certain bureaucrats appear to have seen that as support for a proposed new gold mine.................New mines would mean more roads for hunters to drive in and kill an already threatened grizzly population in B.C

Grizzly bears seen as  gold for mining,  B.C. gov't emails reveal .      Grizzly bears  seen as gold  for mining,  B.C. gov't emails  reveal FOI investigation reveals that senior  B.C. bureaucrats seized on the  province's rising grizzly bear  numbers —disputed by researchers —to "mitigate” the impacts of mining Mychaylo Prystupa  Mar 13th, 2015 Relaxing grizzly bear. Photo by Andrew S. Wright. Senior B.C. wildlife bureaucrats seized upon the  province's rising  grizzly bear numbers —figures disputed by  university scientists  — as helpful for new mining, as well as  trophy hunts, internal  emails reveal. The Freedom of Information (FOI) released  memos were obtained by theVancouver Observer. In early 2014, the BC Liberals controversially  re-opened the grizzly  hunt in two pockets of the province in the  Caribou and Kootenay  hunting areas. Mining Minister Bill Bennett  was also given high- level briefings on January 7 to re-start the  trophy hunt, the memos  show. Provincial biologists calculated that  grizzlies in the west Chilcotin  wilderness were rising by 91 bears  over a year prior. So certain  bureaucrats appear to have seen that  as support for a proposed  mine.   “[By] all accounts there’s a few critters  to spare, but my question  is whether they might be kept handy  to help mitigate a new mine ,” wrote Gerry MacDougall, a wildlife  manager with the Forests,  Lands and Natural Resources  ministry, at the time. "Do you know if anyone connected  those dots for [the Minister’s]  consideration?” he asked. Assistant Deputy Minister Richard  Manwaring replied: "I don’t  know Gerry. It’s an annual [hunting]  decision, so we could  revisit that for sure if the mine  became real I think.”  An active mine proposal at the  time was Taseko's "New  Prosperity" gold-copper project,  until it was rejected last  year. A federal panel concluded  that there "would be a  significant adverse cumulative  effect on the South  Chilcotin grizzly bear population,  unless necessary cumulative  effects mitigation measures are  effectively implemented." The mine remains fiercely  opposed by the  Ts'ilhqot'in Nation,  fresh off a Supreme Court  land-rights victory. "Worrisome" use  of grizzly  data by  B.C. government One grizzly bear policy expert  growled at what  he sees  as the province's odd use of bears  for industrial  interests. "This is very worrisome,” reacted  Faisal Moola,  a forestry  professor at the University of  Toronto on Thursday. "They’re using this contested evidence that grizzly  bear numbers are increasing, to  justify not only a  controversial [hunting] activity  that a majority of  British Columbians are against,  but also to justify  resource development in those  areas as well."   "This shows a real lack of  understanding of the  science,” he added.  Provincial government map of the two areas opened grizzly  hunting in 2014: the Caribou and Kootenay Boundary  management areas.   In response to questions from the Vancouver  Observer on Thursday, a Forests, Lands and "[The] interpretation of this email is inaccurate,"  said Bethel.  Rather, Bethel stated, the wildlife director was  inquiring "as to whether other impacts to bear  populations (such as habitat disturbance from  mining) were also factored into consideration  before allowing a Limited Entry Hunt.”   In other emails discussing how to brief Minister  Bennett, the same wildlife director repeated the  idea that the alleged uptick in grizzly population  numbers could be used as a way to mitigate  resource-extraction impacts.  “If there is a harvestable surplus [of grizzlies]  the Minister of Forestry Lands and Natural  Resources could consider those to offset the  cumulative effects of resource development,”  he wrote. The presumption of a "surplus" of grizzlies is  not shared by everyone. Moola, who doubles  as a director general with the David Suzuki  Foundation, says scientists doubt the  government’s bear count, which suggests  there are 15,000 grizzlies in B.C. A recent study by SFU and the University  of Victoria found the province's grizzly count  science had a high degree of uncertainty. Grizzly bears photographed by Andrew Wright. Pipelines, mining, fracking and  logging leave bears vulnerable But more bothersome, said Moola, is that new  mines would mean more roads for hunters to  drive in and kill an already threatened grizzly  population in B.C. — one of the last places on the  planet where the apex predators roam. "Despite being large and ferocious animals, they  are incredibly vulnerable to human activities," he  added. He says B.C. grizzlies are mainly killed in two ways : 90 per cent from hunters, and the rest from industry  "punching roads into their wilderness habitat" to  create access for logging, fracking, mines and pipelines. Bears get hit by trucks, trains, and get into conflict  with people at dumps and work camps where they  are often shot as problem bears, he added. One study found grizzly bears in central B.C.  tended to die close to roads. Provincial briefing notes also reveal ministers were  given message tracks that said the trophy hunt was  based on "sound science" — wording repeated to  aGlobal TV reporter when asked if the shooting of  grizzlies just for sport was immoral.   The province maintains its grizzly counts passed  the sniff test in peer-reviewed studies in scientific  publications. Still, the FOI e-mails also show BC officials  scrambling to respond to an increasing maelstrom  of negative media reports about the Liberals plan to re-open the grizzly hunt.   The Caribou wilderness area had been off-limits to  grizzly hunters since 2000, due to over kills by people. “We are getting some press over the proposed grizzly  regs that have gone up on our website.  Can some  one make sure Minister Bill Bennett is fully briefed  and aware of this?  Thanks,” wrote Forestry, Lands  and Natural Resources Minister Steve Thomson on  Dec.9, 2013 to his staff.  Government biologists bristled at news reports  attacking their models that said their bear numbers  do not add up. “The Canadian Press sure lapped it up, anything  critical of the grizzly bear hunt gets top billing,”  wrote the government's wildlife research ecologist  Bruce McLellan.