Bear Smart working groups, also known as committees, can help an initiative progress more effectively and with broader buy-in. Whether from the beginning or later on in the process, communities can benefit from having a group of stakeholders leading Bear Smart projects together. Forming a working group or committee reflects the fact that the initiative is a community effort. Ideally, diverse stakeholders are included, especially those who can help progress and those who can hinder progress. Among other things, the group develops and helps to implement solutions for minimizing human-bear conflicts, provides a forum for sharing information and resolving divergent views, and allows for a coordinated approach to community outreach and communications. Again, the timing and the evolution of a working group may be different in each community.

Forming a group worked well in Whistler, where the Whistler’s Bear Advisory Committee (WBAC) brought together a variety of community stakeholders who collaborated together to reduce human-bear conflicts in the Resort Municipality of Whistler. The advisory group was comprised of representatives from two local Bear Smart organizations, the waste hauler, the local and provincial governments, the police, the local ski hill operator, and the Conservation Officer Service, who all met regularly.

Another example of a successful Bear Smart Committee is Virginia City, Montana. It took time for this working group to assemble, as the city Mayor took steps in partnership with a nonprofit and wildlife officials to implement one small project at a time, due to funding limitations. Once some momentum was established and bears were no longer walking down Main Street, community members stepped up to expand the program, direct it, and keep it going. The group ended up with various city residents and businesses working with the Mayor. Virginia City is an example of a more “organic” formation of its working group.

The success of small, grassroots organizations almost always depends on the passion and commitment of one or two individuals, but it also requires the buy-in, support and commitment of a diverse team that can help get the work done. Bear Smart working groups have proven to be most effective when they include and/or collaborate with people they don’t necessarily agree with on all wildlife issues. Don’t just involve the usual suspects; invite the stakeholders in the community who must be involved to make your efforts successful: elected officials, environmentalists, bear managers and conservation officers, sanitation supervisors and waste haulers, First Nations and Tribal Nations, business leaders, and concerned citizens. They may not all formally “join” your group, but it’s important that they feel like they are part of the process—and the solution.

At the point when a group is working together, an instinctual response is to get busy doing “the work.” However, it can be helpful before getting too far to figure out what the group’s vision for the project and community is, and what the big picture and more immediate goals are. The group must also talk about operating agreements and its process. Check out our guide on forming and facilitating Bear Smart working groups for more information.