Tolerance diminishes for letting bears eat trash
By Kathryn Reed
Bear boxes on the South Shore may become more common because of potential enforcement of those who leave trash out for critters and a loan program that is being contemplated.
The Waste Management Joint Powers Authority on Thursday ironed out some details about the ordinance that this summer is expected to be voted on by the jurisdictions that make up that body – South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County and Douglas County. The ordinance would only affect the South Shore area of the counties that is serviced by South Tahoe Refuse.
The ordinance the JPA is putting together mimics much of what the counties have on the books. One major difference still to be resolved is El Dorado County requires bear boxes be installed during new construction or a major remodel, while the other entities don’t have this rule.
“The city doesn’t want to punish people who aren’t doing anything wrong,” JoAnn Conner, South Lake Tahoe’s rep on the JPA board, said in regards to not wanting a blanket mandate for residents to have bear containers.
Conner wants there to be an appeal process in case a neighbor ran over the trash can or something like that where the resident with the violation didn’t actually create the problem.
Not always is a bear box big enough for all the garbage. Photo/LTN
New regulations would likely require a homeowner who has a second violation in a two-year period be required to have a bear-resistant receptacle. That won’t necessarily mean a bear box.
STR officials are tasked with coming up with a list of containers that would deter bears from getting into the garbage.
“We think many times people don’t know they have a problem because we clean it up,” Jeff Tillman, president of STR, said May 28. “We need an education component.”
The refuse company is going to devise a flyer that it will send to all of its customers about the consequences of bears in trash. The JPA board will review it before it is mailed.
Any fines levied will be tied to the property, with liens placed on it.
STR employees have the ability to photograph a problem residence. That information can then be forwarded to officials in that city or county, with the jurisdiction then responsible for issuing a warning on the first violation and mandate a container after the second infraction.
Clean Tahoe is also cleaning up the streets on the California side where critters have gotten into trash. In March there were 38 such cases in the city and six in El Dorado County.
Catherine Cecchi, who runs Clean Tahoe, said she believes an ordinance like the one being drafted will help to drastically reduce the number of calls her workers respond to. When it comes to who the culprits are Cecchi said it’s a mixed bag of offenders – locals, tourists, second homeowners.
The JPA agreed to alter how those offenders are billed so Clean Tahoe can recoup what it is charged by STR to dump the “bear” trash it picks up.
For those residents serviced by STR who want a bear box it may be possible to buy one through a loan program. Tom Bruen, counsel for the JPA, is looking at the program Placer County adopted earlier this spring that allows residents to buy a bear box for about $1,200, pay it back over five years, with a one-time administrative fee of $120, but zero interest.
The JPA board likes this idea and directed Bruen to come back with a more concrete plan.
While board member Conner said she hears people don’t want bear boxes all over town, Sue Novasel, representing El Dorado County and the president of the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care board, said her constituents tell her the opposite. She said personally she is an advocate of the containers. Nancy McDermid, Douglas County’s rep on the JPA, concurred with Novasel.
Novasel called the whole bear in trash issue a people problem.
There is only one species that can put an end to The Black Bear Buffet! And it’s a relatively simple solution. Wildlife belongs.
More stalling baloney. Just require everyone to have a bear box. Just like a water meter. End of story.
@ Steven: So much easier to make another law requiring people to purchase something they may or may not need, than to hold them personally responsible for their own bad deeds!
Not everyone NEEDS a bear box. Most actual residents are responsible and bring their trash out in the morning. Those who are not need to be ‘reminded’ of the consequences.
Punishing everyone for the misdeeds of the few is what causes people to rage against excessive regulation.
Back in 2002, before bear boxes were required for new construction in the county, they cost about $400. Once they became required as part of the permit, the cost shot up to $1K. Coincidence?
Steven. Why should the rest of us get punished for the ignorance of a few who don’t handle a simple thing like trash. I certainly do not want one of those ugly boxes in my yard. If you want one get one just don’t tell the rest of us what to do!
fifty:yup
Why should I be forced to get a $1200 bear box Steven? I’ve lived here for 42 yrs, I’m single and generate less than 1 green bag of trash a week. I put my trash out 15 minutes prior to STR picking it up and I’ve NEVER had my trash raided by bears or racoons.
This issue should have been addressed decades ago.
If boxes are not required for all, then there needs to be draconian penalties for property owners who don’t use them and then feed bears. I see no need for multiple warnings and the regulations need to include businesses, like restaurants, that often (like nightly) feed bears.
If you have a problem with the penalties, then don’t feed the bears.
Require everyone to have a bear box, have a low income program to help those who can’t afford one, solve this problem instead of talking about it over and over again.
The price of a bear box is well worth never having to pick up trash again. Good for the bears or not, picking up trash before work sucks. So get a bear box and have a beer.
Unfortunately bears will still hit the garbage cans during the day after they have been put out. How many of you put out the garbage in the morning then leave for work. South Tahoe refuse cannot be at every house at 7:30 in the morning. I got a bear box over a year ago and it is the best thing I ever did. When garbage accumulates in the house you just put it in the can in the bear box. No need to remember to put the garbage out on collection day ever again.
Well researched article Kae. Thank you. I do agree that most property owners are responsible and should not be required to buy bear boxes if they are not guilty of attracting bears. I also agree that penalties for those who are contributing to the bear/trash problem be penalized with their first violation and required to have bear cans upon their second violation. I like the idea of STR being given reporting responsibility and distributing informational material to all households. I also believe that apartment complexes, restaurants, and vacation rentals should be required to have bear boxes. I am sick of this issue being “talked about” with so little being done to actually eliminate the problem. Really. It’s past time to move forward with some real solutions to this problem.
We love our bear box. It was the best money I’ve spent on our home. With a little landscaping around it you start to forget it’s even there :)
Wouldn’t the Keys look even better with row after row after row of bear boxes? I do not want those ugly boxes on my block.
Why not a bear proof can? They’re relatively inexpensive, about $100. and they work great. I have two and the most I have ever had to do was stand them up. Without code enforcement, places like apartments will continue to be part of the problem. I see trash piling up at some places around town. I never understand why code enforcement just drives by places where trash is piled high. Maybe it’s not their job, but it should be their job to record the address and fine the owners.
At least one bear in our neighborhood (near high school) knows how to open the screw on lid cans. They knock them over and step on the side and the lid pops right off. I have watched it happen to the neighbors can.
I am not for mandatory anything, but I love my bear box.
If you think they are ugly, paint some flowers or a skier chest deep in powder or beer steins or whatever on it. Grow roses around it. They don’t have to be brown, or is that mandatory?
Perhaps have the refuse collectors take note of the addresses where they continually spend extra time cleaning up after the resident hasn’t kept his garbage out of bear’s reach. Maybe triple their collection rate?
Don’t punish all people for the actions of a few.
In 30 years in Tahoe, without a bear box in bear country, I have never had a problem because I PLAN IT THAT WAY.
It is not hard. The Bear resistant cans are indeed a great option and thanks for the reminder BigFishy.
I believe vacation rentals should be required to have bear boxes if they have no service to take care of trash when the renters leave.
The Tahoe Keys has community Dumpsters available, they don’t need Bear Boxes in every yard. But you have to use them.
This simple problem gets far too much press and attention than it deserves. It would take very little consistent enforcement to change the minds of the constant perpetrators. Make violations so expensive that managing your trash becomes, relatively, a paying proposition.
I bet Kae could fill up the entire online publication here with years worth of bear/garbage discussions. Yes,let’s finally DO something about it! There are several good ideas here.
STR could easily become part of the solution by documenting problem houses. They should be doing that anyway just as they would document other violations.
You can have your bear box painted a custom color and it doesn’t cost much to do it.
The ‘problem’ with BEAR boxes is that they allow persons to place large amounts of cooked,greasy meat leftovers for up to a week out in the open air. This acutally attracts more bears into the area of this box. They cannot get into it, but still is not a solution and many think it IS a solution.
This ruling cannot come soon enough. Thanks to those who are working to make it happen. Being good stewards to our wildlife is critical. Enforcement is also key.
First, people who don’t cause problems shouldn’t be required to buy something that they can’t afford to make their yard look ugly.
Second, the bear-proof cans are a much better option. They are cheap, and they don’t look so unsightly. Bear Boxes also cause snow removal hassles. (If it ever snows again)
Third, you should never keep your trash in the garage or the house. Bears are large animals. They can tear right into your garage if they want.
I think the bear-proof cans are the best option. I’ve had them for 8 years and never had a bear get into one.
greengrass
I bit the bullet and installed a bear proof container box, I have not been hit by a bear since 2008, they work hands down