Bear season has officially begun in Southwest Colorado, and with dry conditions, wildlife managers are asking residents to help keep the bruins at bay.

The biggest draw, of course, is the availability of human sources of food: garbage, pet food, livestock food, compost piles, bird feeders, chicken pens, etc. Bears have a keen sense of smell and can pick up odors of food sources from miles away.

“Bears receive a big calorie reward if they get into something like pet food, or bird seed or leftover pizza,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southwest Regional Manager Patt Dorsey said. “Once they get a taste they quickly become habituated to human food and conflicts start. When that happens, things usually don’t go well for the bear.”

Once black bears have discovered a food source they may defend it and can become aggressive. Those situations can become dangerous to people in close proximity, she said. “Some bears can be relocated. But bears deemed dangerous must be destroyed. We put down problem bears because we have to, not because we want to.”

According to Bear Smart Durango, 82 bears were killed in Southwest Colorado in 2012 due to human causes, including cars, electric fences and euthanasia.

In 2008, La Plata County enacted an ordinance requiring residents to keep trash secured from bears, and the City of Durango approved a wildlife ordinance in 2010. Both ordinances run from April 15 - Nov. 15.

In the county, trash containers must be placed only after 5:30 a.m. on morning of pick up and in the city by 6 a.m. Fines in the county are $200 for the first offense, $300 for the second and $500 for each additional offense. In the city, fines are $50 for a second offense and $100 for each additional offense.

Both ordinances are primarily complaint-driven, meaning residents are asked to report bear-trash incidents by calling Central Dispatch, 385-2900.
In addition to the ordinances, CPW offered these tips to keep bears at bay:

- Use bear-resistant trash containers. Keep garbage in a well-secured location and put out only on the morning of pickup and remove as soon as possible.
- Clean garbage cans regularly with bleach. If you don’t have secure storage, put food scraps and other smelly items into the freezer until pick-up day.
- Don’t leave pet food or bowls outside.
- Attract birds with flowers and water features instead of feeders. For those who use feeders, suspend them high above the ground, clean up beneath them and bring them in at night.
- Tightly secure compost piles. Bears are attracted to rotting food.
- Clean-up after meals in the yard or on the patio. Don’t allow food odors to linger.
- Pick fruit from trees before it gets too ripe. Don’t allow fruit to rot on the ground.
- Keep chickens or other small livestock in a secure enclosure and put inside at night. Clean up pens regularly.
- Keep bottom floor doors and windows of homes and garages closed when you’re not at home.
Bryan Peterson, of BearSmart Durango, said it is still too early to tell if this summer will be another active one, and that typically, spring food sources are plentiful. However, once area vegetation starts to dry, problems tend to arise. “During the last two summers, July was by far the worst month,” he said, adding that persistent drought also took a toll on the bears’ fall food supply.

The Regional Housing Alliance of La Plata County has announced that Karen Iverson, a former senior planner from Anchorage, Alaska, will take over as director June 3.

Iverson was selected from a pool of 37 candidates to replace Jen Lopez, who stepped down in March to take a job with the Colorado Housing Finance Authority.

In addition to a background in local government, Iverson has experience in grant writing and federal financing. She holds a masters degree in urban and regional planning and a certificate in real estate development.

“Karen is everything the citizens of La Plata County could hope for,” says Scott Graham, President of the RHA Board. “She’s energetic, enthusiastic and highly experienced in the complex funding mechanisms RHA uses to bring millions of federal and state dollars into our community.”

As director of the RHA, Iverson will also oversee the La Plata Homes Fund, a nonprofit lender that is directed by an independent board but staffed by the RHA. The Homes Fund has received more than $3 million in grants from BP, the federal government and the Colorado Division of Housing.

 

Since 2008, the RHA and Homes Fund have helped 179 county residents become homeowners. In addition, the RHA manages City of Durango and La Plata County programs that require new home developments to include certain percentages of homes at below-market prices.

The RHA, Homes Fund and other local housing organizations will be guided by the countywide “Five-Year Housing Action Plan,” which is set to be released in June. The plan outlines the housing products and services offered by various agencies and institutions to avoid overlaps, address the most critical needs, and increase cost-efficiency.

To read the most recent “Affordable Housing Needs Study,” visit the RHA’s website: www.rhalpc.org/programs/policy-and-education.

 

– Missy Votel