This report includes results from two years of research investigating grizzly bear response to oil and gas pipelines in the Kakwa region of west-central Alberta. We investigated grizzly bear habitat selection patterns on pipeline RoWs and other linear features, parameters influencing the use of pipeline Rows, bear food occurrence on pipelines, the spatial relationship between grizzly bear predation and linear features, and factors that influence grizzly bear mortality risk on pipelines.
Grizzly bears used pipelines, pipeline-road right-of-ways, and roads significantly more than expected based on availability. Male bears also used seismic lines more than expected, while female bears appeared to avoid seismic lines during spring and fall. A number of bear foods were more common on pipeline RoWs and edges than in other available habitats, including dandelion, clover and ants, known to be important bear foods in our region. There were differences between age-sex classes in use of pipeline habitat, with some sexual segregation
of habitat use. Bears were more likely to use younger pipelines (mean age ~ 7 years) and pipelines in areas of lower pipeline and road densities. Our spatial analysis of grizzly bear predation sites did not find evidence that ungulate predation events occurred close to linear features.
Analysis of factors influencing grizzly bear mortality risk on pipelines indicated that sightability of bears from pipeline-road intersections was most influenced by topography and shrub cover. All pipelines investigated in our study were used by people and by grizzly bears, suggesting that bear-human encounters could occur on pipeline RoWs.
Based on our research findings over two years, we believe that grizzly bears use pipeline RoWs primarily for travel and foraging, and that the presence of bear foods along these RoWs plays a role in their selection.