Experts, outdoor enthusiasts convene for Alaska Bear Festival

SOLDOTNA — Bear lovers from around the state, including many from the Valley, are getting ready for the third annual Alaska Bear Festival, scheduled for March 30 in Anchorage and March 31 in Soldotna.

There will be an Alaska Bear Forum March 30 at Wendy Williamson Auditorium on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus.

The event features the festival's two keynote speakers, Christopher Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Richard Nelson, a noted Alaskan writer and cultural anthropologist.

On March 31, the venue is the Central Peninsula Sports Center. There, many sponsors will have bear-related exhibits, relating to a number of different bear topics.

This year's speakers will provide interesting and stimulating discussion on the status of bears in the Cook Inlet region. While presentation of the latest in bear science is one of the objectives of the festival, presentations will be geared to the level of the general public. The festival will include many of Alaska's bear experts, but it is not a science conference.

Attending the festival is guaranteed to increase people's repertoire of bear knowledge and what it takes for bears and people to coexist.

Admission is free. For more information, interested people may contact George Matz at (907) 345-3139, or visit the Web site: www.awrta.org.