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Methodologies of a 3-year study of black bear (Ursus americanus) habitat use in Banff National Park, Alberta are presented. The study was designed to determine if black bear habitat use could be described by an existing 1:50,000 scale Ecological (Biophysical) Land Classification (ELC) of Banff National Park. Fifteen bears were radio-collared and their use of ecological land units (ecosites) was determined through 1,855 locations. Feeding signs were recorded and 466 scats collected. Seasonal ecosite importance ratings on a 5-tier scale were assigned using a 3-step process. First, a subjective assessment was conducted that relied on the biologists' field experience during the study, results of scat analysis, and tabulation of feeding signs found. Second, the telemetry results were analyzed for the observed versus expected use of ecosites by bears as determined by the area of each ecosite. Third, a food habits model that was based on the relative percent occurrence of ELC vegetation types and key bear foods within each ecosite was used to derive a second set of seasonal ecosite importance ratings. From 77-90% of seasonal ecosite ratings either matched for all 3 methods, or differed by 1 rating class between the subjective and modeled techniques. This strong consistency between rating methods indicates that the relative importance of closed legend ecosites at a 1:50,000 scale of mappings can be discerned within a 5-tier rating system. It is cautioned that at this scale of mapping, the rating classes serve only as a first-order planning tool. High ratings should raise a red flag to managers who must then conduct site-specific investigations.