Stakeholder views on grizzly bear management in the Banff-Bow Valley: a before–after Q methodology study

Understanding stakeholder views is essential for successful wildlife management. This study used Q methodology with a before–after approach to explore stakeholder views about the problems and solutions related to grizzly bear management in the Banff-Bow Valley of Alberta, Canada. This research, conducted in 2008, followed up on a previous Q study conducted in 2004. A meta-analysis of the before and after factors revealed that some changes in views had occurred between the summers of 2004 and 2008. Interviews also supported the finding that the views of the participants had changed and revealed that the factors most frequently identified by participants as having influenced their views between the before and after Q studies were: research about grizzly bears; the occurrence of grizzly bear mortalities; and a series of “interdisciplinary problem solving” stakeholder workshops and meetings about grizzly bear management.