It is the exaggerated fear of all that is in wilderness that drives many to feel that these places need to be tamed. Ken,
I think you found some common ground with this statement. Bears are just one of the dangers that people have to cope with in the wilderness. It's on par with getting hit by lightening, very rare, but when the tree nearby gets struck and falls over, you need good advice. Science and statistics are very helpful in evaluating the true risk of things, and should be foundational for decision making. When risks are overplayed (read "hyped by the media looking for ratings") or underplayed (by well meaning "experts"), people with common sense experience need to weigh in. Please don't throw people out with the bathwater because we don't happen to agree with the particular expert your quote.
Here's a quote from an equally eminent "expert" on Momma bears and cubs:
"Mother bears, whenever they feel threatened or a person is too close, they act very aggressively," said Stephen Herrero, the study's lead author. "They make noise, they swat the ground with their paws and they run at people. They want to make you think that they'll eat you alive, but they almost always stop."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/science/11bears.html
