The plan's objective is to define Virginia's cultural carrying capacity for bears - a number that balances the number of bears Virginia's land can sustain with the number its people want and can tolerate. Under the draft plan, the bear population will be stabilized across much of the state while increasing in the state's southwest and southcentral regions. The plan outlines dozens of strategies and goals toward achieving the optimum cultural carrying capacity. Goals include conserving bear habitat, providing hunting opportunities and non-hunting recreation such as bear watching, and protecting personal property from bear damage. I'm interested to see what the public thinks.
Black bears are Virginia's largest land mammal.
Adult males can reach 500 pounds, with adult females usually weighing between 100 and 175 pounds. The bear's primary range in Virginia is in the mountain region, and in the Dismal Swamp area in the far southeastern corner of the state. The range has more than doubled since 1974, and it continues to expand. Bear sightings have been confirmed across much of the state. Steffen said department biologists don't have an accurate estimate of Virginia's bear population.