User:Tsimon5

this is my wikipedia page

Ecology
The Louisiana Black Bear is one of 16 recognized subspecies of the American Black Bear. Males typically weigh between 150 and 350 lbs, and females weigh between 120 and 250 lbs. Black bears are opportunistic omnivores and will consume anything from fruit, carrion, and human trash to live animals. Louisiana black bears typically utilize bottomland hardwood forests in the Tensas and Atchafalaya river basins. Female bears have a home range of approximately 20,000 acres and males typically have a 40,000 acre home range. However the home range of the males increases drastically during the breeding season. Females reach sexual maturity at 3-5 years of age and give birth in January and February. They typically give birth to 1-5 cubs, with an average of 2. Cubs stay with the mother until after the following winter and as soon as they leave, females are ready to breed again.

Reasons for Decline
Habitat destruction and fragmentation have been major factors surrounding the decline of the Louisiana Black Bear. Historically, bears have been found throughout Louisiana in the Atchafalaya, Tensas, Mississippi, Red and Pearl River basins and in south Arkansas, west Mississippi and east Texas. Today, they have been reduced to three small, isolated subpopulations in the lower Atchafalaya river basin (coastal population), upper Atchafalaya river basin (Point Coupee population) and the Tensas river basin (Tensas population). Conversion of bottomland hardwood forest to agriculture and urbanized lands have contributed to the majority of the habitat loss. However, large scale clearcutting for timber in the early 1900s also contributed to the decline in habitat availability and quality. Altered hydrology in remaining cypress stands have also contributed to poor habitat for the bears. Over harvest has also been a reason for the decline of the bears. Unregulated harvest has contributed to much of the decline of the black bears in Louisiana.

Recovery Plan
There are several agencies and programs to help with the recovery of the Louisiana black bear. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries manages several Wildlife Management Areas in bear habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also manages several National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) that are home to black bears. The Tensas NWR has the healthiest population of bears in the state and there is active management and research ongoing on the refuge. The Bayou Teche NWR was established and is managed for the purpose of recovering the population of the coastal bear population.

The Black Bear Conservation Coalition (BBCC) is a non governmental organization that is dedicated to the recovery of the Louisiana Black Bear. Through education, research, and habitat management they have helped to protect and enhance critical bear habitat. The BBCC also hosts the Bayou Teche Black Bear and Birding Festival which is held every year in Franklin, Louisiana and is dedicated to the education of the public and promotion of the bears.

The Farm Bill has several programs in place that allocate federal funds to offer cost share programs for landowners to restore and protect critical wildlife habitat. The most important of the programs are the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). These programs offer options to private landowners for cost-share percentages depending on the time and management intensity of the easements. The farm bill easement programs are incentives for private landowners to restore marginal cropland to quality habitats, such as bottomland hardwood forests. Federal employees will work with landowners to develop the most effective management plan for each owner's respective property and ideal habitat goals.

Criteria for Delisting
The Louisiana black bear is federally listed as threatened. There are three criteria for the delisting of bears. The first criteria is for there to be at least 2 viable populations. Associated with the first criteria, the second stipulates that there must be suitable habitat corridors between the 2 populations. The third stipulation is for a 95% probability of survival over the next 100 years.