Incline Village couple suing Bear League
By Jeff DeLong, Reno Gazette-Journal
A Lake Tahoe couple who claims they were harassed and subjected to death threats after reporting a problem-causing bear that was later killed by authorities have sued a nonprofit bear advocacy group they contend was responsible for the harassment.
Richard and Adrienne Evans of Incline Village sued the Bear League and the organization’s founder, Ann Bryant, seeking unspecified damages in connection with the December 2013 incident at the upscale north Tahoe community.
Through the suit, filed Dec. 8 in the Washoe District Court, the Evans hope to alter a pattern of behavior that has people properly reporting black bear problems to Nevada wildlife officials subject to harmful harassment by critics, said the couple’s Reno attorney, Sean Rose.
An attorney representing Bryant and the Bear League did not return repeated phone calls by the Reno Gazette-Journal. In an answer to the complaint filed in District Court Dec. 30, central allegations made in the Evans’ complaint were denied, including that the Bear League urged and encouraged the alleged harassment.
Well let’s call it like it is. The Bear League and some of it’s followers take a somewhat eco-terrorist approach to those they feel are a problem as it pertains to our bear population. I agree with their sentiment, but by no means do I endorse some of their actions. I’m a firm believer that you attract more flys with honey than you do with vinegar. And Ann Bryant can be somewhat of a hypocrite as it pertains to some of her own interactions with our wild bears and other wild animals.
If the Evans had taken immediate action about their neighbor feeding bears, this may not have happened. If a neighbor is feeding bears, the authorities will step in. Its unpleasant to report your neighbors but some situations call for it. Still, I have to wonder if the Evans’ car and house didn’t have food carelessly stored that tempted the bear. Sounds like the neighbors share culpability.
I think more people harass the Bear League than the other way around. I have known the Bear League to advocate for public education and protection of the bear population. Many people are passionate about this topic, may have nothing at all to do with the Bear League but their actions and words are conveniently and inaccurately attributed to Ann Bryant and the group.
Do the Evans have a bear box? What about their bear feeding neighbors? If not, maybe we should take aim at rectifying this obvious problem.
Finally!! I am glad to see this…. Ann Bryant called out. She has been a complete nuisance and irritant for decades. She NAMES the bears for Pete’s sake. How hypocritical is she? The list is long. I support the Evans. The sooner Bryant goes away the better off the basin will be.
Bear League being sued? What, because the Bear League is trying to protect wildlife? The couple suing, claims there was harassment and even death threats against them because they reported a bear in their neighborhood to Nevada wildlife officials, whereupon a bear was killed by the state of Nevada, presumably, the “problem” bear. No way of knowing really, it could be just another bear looking for food.
We have to learn to live with bears as they have learned to live with us.
Bears are no longer afraid of humans, barking dogs, busy residential areas, cars… you name it!!! The bears are here to stay since they’ve moved into town in search of food.
Give the bears some respect! Not garbage! House hold trash left out in front of your house for a week or more, which can lead to their death through killing by state agencies, a ‘hunter” who trees the bear with dogs and then kills it so the bear falls to the ground, or they end up getting hit by getting hit by a car.
I support the Bear Leauge and I love the wild animals that live here in a place that I call home.
Take care, and be happy to live in such a place where native animals are looked at, admired and appreciated. Love the animals and protect them. OLS
Kits, I believe this is one of those situations where we have to look at both sides of the coin. As abrasive as Ann Bryant may be, she has done far more than anyone as it pertains to advocating for protection of our local wildlife. I may not agree with all her tactics, but no one has brought this situation to our, or the nations collective attention about bears in the Tahoe basin more than she has. For that I thank her, I just wish she would take a somewhat more user friendly approach. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water!
Sorry for the mispelling’s in my previous comment about bears, but this damned machine will let not me correct them.
f#%&@*&^% computers! OLS
Really, OLS & Level, do you truly believe it is ok to subject people to death threats. I remember reading on facebook on the leagues page, when a bear was trapped in a trap in someones yard, there were plenty of physical as well as death threats. I hope this lawsuit stops this kind of behavior, it is childish and criminal. I am surprised they were not charged with terriorist acts and hate crimes.
I do believe that a bear is not killed unless it is captured 3 times and scared to stay away from people.
reloman, I don’t believe death threats are good in any situation. I think, in protecting wildlife in our beautiful little bubble we call “Lake Tahoe”, is well, worth it.In trying to save the animals that were here long before us. So in that line of thinking , I’m all for it! Work to save the critters. SAVE THE BEARS!!!!
Those folks that want to kill bears and the rest of of the RESIDENT wildlife population? Well? , I guess there are some here that will do as they’ll do as they damn well please as nobody is there to stop them.
IT’S OPEN SEASON ON ANYTHING THAT MOVES!!!
See a bear? Shoot it, trap it, kill it. Coyotes?, poison them or pull out the old 22 rifle and kill them to. And then reward the shooter with a cash prize for the the biggest coyote shot. Disgusting!
Time for bed, lottsa stuff to do tommorow. G,night, OLS
This is not the first time the bear league has harassed people. This is an established part of their playbook. The difference is these folks have not been intimidated and have pushed back. Good for them. Death threats and harassment are unacceptable. The bear league needs to revise their tactics and stick to educating people and work to shift public policy.
OLS your comments are way over the top and part of the problem. Open season on anything that moves? Give us all a break. Do you realize that just about every state that has bears has similar policies to deal with them including hunting as a means of managing them? What we have here is nothing new. There are policies, laws and rules if you don’t like them work to change them. These people reported a problem bear as they should do, at that point it’s falls into established policies.
Strange how in the seventies and eighties with a much larger population of year round residents and tourists we had fewer bear incidents. Few if any bear proof trash receptacles and no Bear League.
Could it be their interruption of the long standing practice of killing a couple of problem bears per year caused the increase in the problem bear population? I can remember when seeing a bear in town was a big deal. I woke up my neighbor once at 2:00 AM to see a bear in my yard.
Sometimes the best of intentions go wrong.
Incline Village residents/tourists have a history of irresponsibility regarding bears…. renters and residents leaving their trash non-bear resistant, etc. This is just stupid. I have had neighbors who had the same mentality in SLT…. had to report them to Clean Tahoe so they could get responsible or get a bear box (& they now have one because they did not get responsible). The Evans and their neighbors obviously think more about their own convenience (self-absorbing, all-about-me, etc.) than the fragile, wild environment we love to live in. I doubt there were any death threats, and I think the Bear League – just like other save Tahoe leagues, is just trying to save the environment from idiots who feel like their cash supercedes responsibility.
The Bear League has done an amazing job. Folks who think they have the right to ignore our responsibility to wildlife, should move to downtown Reno or some other concrete area. People who feed the bears should be put in jail – or maybe in the adjacent cage to a recovering bear at the Wild Life Center. I’m with you OLS!
I hope the bear league follows through. Take your high class sue happy buts back to so cal.
If you saw someone bait the bears with small farm animals, then kill the old ‘good’ bear only to find out the killer was a Mt lion, it’d make you sick. I confronted these people and asked how they expected the animals to Not be killed by the bears and they said “they can protect themselves” and when they couldn’t they killed the bear that was around for years and years and then hung it behind their property with all the coyotes they’d killed. Some people need to be called out and I am sorry I didn’t do more to protect our old bear. I appreciate The Bear League and don’t believe they’ve done more harm than good. I’ve called several times and have received good advice. No one can control what others say once info is made public as this site reminds us regularly.
Sometimes it takes people who are willing to do the risk taking for the greater good. The folks at the bear league have a tough job and they get alot of bad vibes from those who refuse to learn that their actions have consequences. Anyone that goes out of their way to speak for critters and advocate for their safety and right to exist in their natural habitat is a hero in my book. Keep up the good work Bear League!
Bears! People repeatedly putting out trash where bears and other animals can get into it, in some cases for years, bears spreading the garbage out into the street and in the neighbors yards. I call THAT, “over the top”.
Repeating the same action endlessly expecting different results.Talk politely and calmly about bears getting into the trash where the bear goes for food all the time. If that does’nt work, take the next step.
Calling Clean Tahoe at 544-4210 is a huge help to getting this problem resolved. Also call the Bear League at (530) 525-7297 and they can be of big help.
Take care and be bear aware, OLS
when I was a kid living in the Trinity Alps if their was a problem Bear they went to Bear Heaven.
Irish, read the original article and the threats cited in the suit… I’m all for protecting the bears and being bear smart where we live, but the comments below are unacceptable from anyone and especially so from a non-profit organization and/or its leader. I think there should be more laws/fines/enforcement for people causing bear problems as it is not usually the bear’s fault. And I’m in no way showing support for or against the Evans or the Bear League. None of us know for sure what transpired, but if this does go to trial hopefully all of it will finally be out in the open.
Below is from the RGJ article:
“This has turned into a war…and you don’t win a war by being nice to your enemies,” read a Dec. 21, 2013 comment attributed to Bryant and cited in the complaint.
“This bear was an innocent victim. Run this stupid woman out of town and back to the city where she belongs,” reads another post cited in the complaint.
“Kill the person,” reads another post. Another makes references to “murdering scum” while a third urges “public shaming via social media: Go for it.”
Below is from the Bear League facebook page that I took the time to read the comments on today. It appears a lot of comments have been deleted, but there was one from the Bear League themselves that seems to condone this type of behavior:
BEAR League Kathryn, we see no mob mentality going on here. We see a lot of people who are upset at yet another killing of an innocent bear. How many more bears are you willing to sacrifice in order to ‘protect’ irresponsible, arrogant, selfish people who have no regard whatsoever for the lives of these animals they choose to live alongside? Nothing will ever change as long as we condone this behavior by quietly sitting back and allowing the killing to continue. Residents of Tahoe must realize there are consequences for recklessly killing a bear who has done nothing to deserve his death sentence. Adrienne knew full well what would happen yet she didn’t care…she wanted this bear dead at all costs. So now she pays the price, simple as that.
December 21, 2013 at 9:38am
“So now she pays the price………” could simply mean the inevitable public scrutiny and advocating for a bear that was undoubtedly drawn in by a food source. All of us up here know that certain actions will bring public attention and I think the Bear League post simply acknowledges that fact.
again, if anyone knows whether either complaining party has a bear box, please let us know. That will be a telling detail here with regard to the attitude of both the Evans and the neighbor who feeds bears.
The problem is not with the Bears, Bear League, Tourists or Residents the problem is we are reactive and not proactive when it comes to the Bear situation. I have a bear box that I covered with rocks, dirt and plants that I share with everyone around me. We have not had a problem in the ten years we have been here. Our elected officials hold the key to this whole situation. They have to place laws and ordinances on the books that force every homeowner to have a metal bear box. A vacation rental must pay for it themselves. When the city got the grant for their recycle trash boxes it was suggested they use the money and give a 75% rebate to owners (other than vacation rentals, empty second homes and rentals as these folks can afford it) similar to the defensible space program from a couple of years ago for fire safety. When that program was in effect there thousands of jobs done because the homeowners were in effect forced to do it and there was money available to do so. The city chose to get the recycle garbage boxes that really do not work as well as they hoped. Nobody is going to do anything for free. Until our elected officials actually do something about this our bear problems will continue. Everyone will be reactive instead of proactive and the threats, innuendos, harassment’s and neighbor vs neighbor will not stop. Stop by and look at what we did with our Bear Box. 2189 Blitzen Road
Really, if they dont agree with the death threats they could have very simply posted that they understand that people have strong feelings but death threats are not the way to go, and deleted those post. by not posting this it implys that they agree. its the physical and death threats that are SO WRONG IN SO MANY WAYS!!!! it hurts their cause and turns many people against them.
I couldn’t agree more that death threats or anything like it is unacceptable.
Incline Village city council, or whatever they are called, continually chooses not to require any bear boxes. And Incline has more problems than anywhere. And you know those that own property in Incline can afford a bear box. People need to start putting their anger towards the council in Incline.
Steven, I am not aware that bear boxes are a requirement anywhere in the tahoe basin, not state line, kings beach, tahoe city, home side, or SLT
Relo, bear boxes are required on any new construction in El Dorado County in the basin, except of course, within SLT city limits. For some unfathomable reason.
I remember when the bear was shot in Tahoma. They posted the persons address asking for people to take things I to there own hands. Bear league should loose this one for good reason. Putting things up for public awareness is one thing. Calling lynch mobs is not right no matter what.
Steven, you are right! Incline seems to have the most reported bear incidents. Though I dislike Bryant completely, I DO agree that every residence in Incline (and the basin for that matter) should be required to have a bear box. They are not real cheap but if anyone could afford one it would be Incline people. Plus, it’s not just about the cost of them. It’s about common sense, preventing our sometimes pesky bruins from trashing the trash.
Don’t have a dog in this fight but CA does allow the killing of 1700 bears a year by hunters.
Hope this helps put everything in perspective.
The all bears good all people bad approach is getting old.
I can have food in my home and my truck. The trash issue is a farce. Once everyone gets a bear proof box they will just start breaking into garages and homes.
The league won’t be happy until we all have a bear under our deck. Then they will want us to tear out our decks.
Some of the nut jobs who accuse Karl Lackey of wanting to kill bears are insane! Remember when the dam was vandalized at Taylor Creek ruining the Salome egg harvest?
These people are dangerous!!
I am amazed by the vitriol resistance to bear boxes. My vacation home came with one yet my neighbors with homes in the $500-600k range don’t have one. From what I know of them, they can easily afford one. I also know that they use mine when I am not visiting SLT (I find trash bags in the box when I come up mid week) and I don’t mind at all since it keeps the neighborhood “safe”. They are the same folks that tell me stories about bears breaking in their cars if the leave food inside overnight. I believe it is just a matter of common sense to find ways to coexist with the “natives” bears. I tell my family not to leave food in the cars, food trash in the garage, or in their first floor bedrooms…the kitchen is on the second floor. I realize that not all the homes have a second floor kitchen, thus it may not be a solution for everyone.
But I stand to my common sense approach comment…..I know I know I don’t live in SLT all year round, thus I don’t really know the facts :):)
Flatlander, Yes, some folks are resistant to buying a bear box because of cost and maybe because once there installed, it’s a permanant fixture in front of their house. But they do work if properly closed up by the homeowner and the garbage company on pick up day. Drive along the west shore of Tahoe all the way to north shore and you will see lots of bear boxes. South shore on the other hand, they’re few and far between. Hence, we have a real bear in trash problem here in SLT. Some residents, full time and part time, have purchased bear resistant cans which work to some extent, others have built enclosures for their garbage cans to keep out the bears. Then of course there’s those people that don’t give a *%$#@ and just let their trash sit out where all the animals eat and make a big mess of the surrounding area and possibly doing property damage as well. I think the bears will be out early this year due to a weak winter and unsually warm weather. So be ready and have your trash safely contained and bear proofed. OLS
The El Dorado County ordinance went into effect in 2003, so houses built before then don’t have to have them, but if the houses are vacation rentals, it would certainly be considerate for their owners to install one.
What I noticed was that, pre-’03, you could get a bear box installed for about $400. Once they were required, the price quickly rose to $1K. Now, I know steel has gone up as well, but whenever something is mandated by law, it sure seems like it gets expensive quick.
FYI Everyone– Having a large male dog keeps the bears away 100% of the time as long as the dog is marking it’s property. Problem solved.
I’ve had a second home in SLT for 40+ years
when I’m come up–if I’m not there on garbage day (Monday) I throw my trash in the back of my truck and take it home with me–pretty easy