Knowledge and Opinions of Stakeholders of Black Bear Management in Virginia

Development of the Virginia black bear (Ursus americanus) management plan provided opportunities to examine stakeholder knowledge and opinions about bears and bear management as well as wildlife professionals' opinions about key bear management issues and public involvement in decision making. We mailed self-administered questionnaires to members of 3 nongovernmental stakeholder organizations and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) professionals. Professionals believed greater stakeholder involvement is needed in decision making regarding bear management. Eighty-four percent of bear hunters belonging to an association of houndsmen agreed that VDGIF manages bears well. Members of a beekeepers association and the Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) who expressed an opinion were 2.5 and 9 times, respectively, more likely to agree than disagree VDGIF manages black bears well. Knowledge about bear ecology and management in Virginia varied widely among surveyed stakeholders and likely depended on their sources of information and activities relating to bears. Ninety-six percent of surveyed hound hunters and 53% of surveyed TNC members agreed VDGIF should increase bear populations in all habitats that are biologically suitable. Although