Khutzeymateen matters for several reasons. It is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, including species of salmon, grizzly bears, and more. It also serves as a connection between the mainland of British Columbia and Haida Gwaii. Additionally, the area is home to numerous cultural sites of great importance to the local First Nations, offering a range of cultural and spiritual values. Finally, it serves a vital function in the health of the wild salmon populations of the area, helping to ensure healthy, sustainable fish populations for generations to come.

1. The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is located on the coast of British Columbia and is one of the few protected areas dedicated entirely to grizzly bears in the world.

2. Grizzly bears use the Khutzeymateen Inlet area for feeding, resting, and denning - the sanctuary was established in the early 1990s to protect the bears from the effects of human activities.

3. The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is home to approximately 28 bears and spans an area of 290 square kilometers.

4. The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is also a boat-based grizzly bear viewing area which is open during the summer months.

5. In 2014, the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its globally outstanding biodiversity.

6. In addition to grizzly bears, the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is also home to wolves, bald eagles, black bears, deer, and a variety of birds.

The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is located in the Kitlope/Kwiyaciliw Cultural Watershed, which is part of the larger Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada.

Pollution: Excessive pollution from surrounding industrial and agricultural areas has a negative impact on the health of both grizzly bears and the food sources they rely on. The presence of pollutants impairing the productivity, diversity, and abundance of plant and animal resources needed by them is a major threat to their survival in Khutzeymateen.

Climate Change: If climate change continues to upset local temperature norms, it can affect the natural cyclical occurrence of plants such as salmon for bears to feed upon, leading to an eventual decline in their population.

Development/ Logging: Unchecked unchecked logging or development could destroy crucial wildlife habitat that’s necessary for maintaining grizzly bear populations at their current levels.

Motorized Recreation / Hunting: Increasing motorized recreation activities such as ATV use or hunting within park boundaries creates noise disturbance and disruption to grizzlies’ natural behavior and places them at risk of being shot or injured inadvertently.

Disease Outbreaks: Grizzlies are susceptible to various diseases including rabies, canine distemper virus, and parvovirus among others which can spread rapidly causing high mortality rates if left unchecked