Did you know you can get a ticket if you don’t secure your attractants so that bears don’t have access to them?
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.
READ MORE: Bear euthanized in Revelstoke today
Conservation Officers will be coming to the city to do an attractant audit in the next month to see how the citizens of Revelstoke are doing.
“People have to be securing their attractants at all times,” said Dan Bartol, conservation officer. “But we are going to do a targeted inspection to make sure that people are doing what their obligation is, which is securing their attractants, picking their fruit, securing your garbage and bird feeders and other things so that bears don’t have access to them.”
For those who are doing a good job, Bartol said the team, which may also consist of Mounties and Natural Resource Officers, will say thank you, but those who aren’t upholding the law could be ticketed.
The minimum amount for not securing attractants is $230 and it can go up from there, Bartol said.
“We just want to reduce conflict with bears and this is one of the only ways we really know how to.”
At this time of year bears are preparing for hibernation and consuming as many calories as possible. Garbage and fruit in urban areas can be an easy way for them to get those calories, however that is when they come into conflict with people and in some cases have to be euthanized.
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.
READ MORE: Revelstoke Bear Aware offering cost sharing for bear resistant bins
