For years Revelstoke residents have seen bears coming into city limits, said a news release from Revelstoke Bear Aware.
“We know that garbage is the number one attractant for bears, with fruit trees coming in a close second.”
Since 2016, when 24 bears were killed within City limits, residents are getting better at reducing these attractants, the news release said.
In 2017 Revelstoke Bear Aware received many questions about what residents could do to keep their garbage secure.
This year, Revelstoke Bear Aware is leading a hands on project to stop bears from accessing garbage. They have developed a cost sharing program for bear resistant storage bins for Revelstoke residents.
“We are excited to introduce this new bear resistant storage bin program. With the number of people requesting somewhere secure to store garbage on a daily basis, it only made sense that the Revelstoke Bear Aware Society put together a tangible solution for Revelstoke residents,” said Revelstoke Bear Aware coordinator, Maggie Spizzirri.
These bear resistant storage bins can be purchased at Revelstoke Home Hardware.
Revelstoke Bear Aware is offering $300 off the original Tyedee bin price and the price in the store is the discounted price for the bins.
The bin is certified bear resistant and meets all requirements by the City of Revelstoke’s garbage and wildlife bylaw as well as the BC Wildlife Act.
These bins are a great solution to store garbage, compost, recycling, pet feed and any other bear attractant for people who do not have a closed garage or shed. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for residents to secure their garbage.
Tips for bear proofing your yard:
- Secure garbage from bears, either in a bear- resistant container or indoors. Don’t put your garbage out before 6 a.m. on the day of collection.
- Harvest ripe fruit and pick up windfall fruit every day.
- Remove bird feeders during bear season (April - November) or use only small amounts of feed and bring in each night.
- Feed pets indoors. Store pet food and livestock feed indoors.
- Consider a properly installed and maintained electric fence to protect small livestock (such as chickens and beehives), fruit trees, and compost piles.
- Consider removing outdoor freezers and fridges or be sure they are locked shut.
- Do not put cooked food, meat, fish or cheese in compost. Keep compost piles working properly. Smelly compost attracts bears.
- Clean barbecues after each use.
- Do not feed wildlife.
Visit www.revelstokebearaware.org for more information on managing bear attractants or contact Revelstoke Bear Aware at 250-837-8624.
To report bear sightings or conflicts with bears please call the BC Conservation Service 24-hour hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
To report a bear attractant to the City Bylaw Officers, contact 250-837-2911 during office hours or email to bylawenforcement@revelstoke.ca. Or report a concern on their See Click Fix app https://revelstoke.ca/332/See-Click-Fix.