By Gerald D. Hodge, Jr.
Founder & CEO, Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears, Inc.
We are blessed to be Appalachian Americans. I have traveled all over the world during my 28 years of military service and there is no better place! Our mountains have changed significantly for the better in many ways since I first left in 1984.
One of the ways is that our black bear population is starting to recover from the devastation of hundreds of thousands of acres of lost habitat, the extinction of the American chestnut tree, and overhunting.
When I grew up in southeast Tennessee the only place you could see bears was in Cades Cove, Tennessee. The population was so devastated that bear hunting was prohibited in Georgia beginning in the 1920’s through 1979. Black bears are the balance in healthy ecosystems. They are both Keystone and Indicator species, so their rebound illustrates that our Appalachian ecosystems are also on the rebound.
Another way that we have changed for the better is that people have come to realize the beauty of our mountains and they come from all over the country to live, work, and play. Thousands of people from the Metro-Atlanta area escape into the mountains each weekend to get back to nature and decompress from their day-to-day jobs.
The cabin rental and tourism industry is a significant economic driver for our region. When combined, the probability of Human-Bear conflict increases unless we assess the risk and take mitigation measures.
We interact with nature because we find it relaxing, adventurous, and refreshing. However, our actions or inattentiveness, whether intentional or not, have consequences. Putting these two very positive factors together increases the probability of Human-Bear conflicts. How we reduce this risk is by proactively educating our seasonal and permanent residents, and our visitors.
Government is an integral partner in the solution. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources state in their January 28, 2019, Strategic Management Plan for Black Bears in Georgia (2019-2028), “Understanding normal bear behavior and educating the public about bears is critical when dealing with human-bear conflicts.” They identify their challenge as being the logistical constraints of responding to hundreds of bear inquiries, balancing the needs of the bears, and the public’s desires.
Many of us identify with the American black bear. They are a part of our Appalachian heritage. The potential for Human-Bear conflicts is not going to go away. The black bear population continues to increase and human encroachment into the mountains will not stop. Part of sustainable tourism is not leaving a trace or having a negative impact on the natural resources, economy, or culture of the places we visit.
We strive to form new partnerships and nurture existing ones. We cannot do this alone. We can lead and coordinate, but it will take a wide span of partnerships to achieve our mission. Although we are not waging a kinetic war, the principle of strategy remains the same, “For by strategy war is waged, and victory depends on many counselors.” Holy Bible, Proverbs 24:6, New American Bible, Revised Edition.
We see partnerships with subject matter experts, local, state, and Federal government agencies, chambers of commerce, tourism and travel industries, corporate entities, nonprofits, HOAs/POAs, and volunteers as capability multipliers. It will take every advantage to protect the Appalachia Georgia American black bear in its shrinking world.
The mission of the Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears’ mission is to reduce Human-Bear conflict through proactive educational outreach programs, increasing public awareness about coexisting with Black Bears, the use of humane bear deterrents, and advocacy. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
To learn more, check us out on www.agfriendsofthebears.com, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and our friends at www.BearWise.org.
