There were nine enforcement actions taken in Revelstoke last month during the bear attractant audit.
The majority were violation tickets of $230 and more than half of the violators were commercial businesses.
In B.C. residents are legally obligated to harvest fruit from fruit trees, secure garbage and composting as well as any other food waste that might attract bears out of the forest and onto their property.
“This is one of the things we do to reduce conflict. It’s another tool in our toolbox. We’re identifying the problems before a bear gets into them,” says Dan Bartol, conservation officer.
Failing to properly store garbage can result in a ticket.
“However, people have to be securing their garbage and picking their fruit on an ongoing bases, not just when there is an audit,” says Bartol.
Revelstoke Bear Aware Society has information and resources on being bear aware and managing attractants. Their instructions:
- secure garbage until collection day
- harvest fruit and pick up windfalls
- store pet food and livestock food securely
- use bird feeders only in winter
The society also has a bear-proof bin cost sharing program with Home Hardware.
Although there has been little conflict with bears in Revelstoke so far this year, a bear was euthanized in Sept. after chasing a resident back into their home.
READ MORE: Bear euthanized in Revelstoke today
Bartol says the City of Revelstoke could go one step further to reduce conflicts with bears by replacing all municipal garbage bins with bear-resistant models.
“We are surrounded by bear habitat. Bears come into town from spring until fall. Everyday. It’s an obligation we have to provide residents with that option to secure garbage.”
The City of Revelstoke placed bear-proof bins in the downtown area last year.
Golden aims to replace all their municipal garbage bins with bear proof bins by 2020.
Bartol says people are becoming more bear aware, but there’s still some work to be done.
“I’d love to do an audit and not issue any tickets. That would be my dream.”
READ MORE: Second batch of new bear proof garbage bins rolls out
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