NEWS Tuesday, June 14, 2016 https://bouldercolorado.gov

Stay away from my Garbage !

City expands enforcement of bear protection ordinance to additional neighborhoods 

The City of Boulder will begin enforcing the requirement that all residents and businesses west of Broadway and south of Sumac Avenue secure waste from bears starting Wednesday, June 15. Enforcement of the “bear protection zone” is part of the city’s bear protection ordinance, which was passed by City Council in March 2014.

To comply with the ordinance, residents and businesses in this zone must obtain and properly use bear-resistant trash bins or dumpsters or use waste enclosures. Proper use includes not overfilling and properly securing or latching bins, dumpsters and enclosures. Waste must not be left outside the waste containers. Bins and dumpsters must be latched shut at all times.

Starting Wednesday, Boulder Police Department code compliance officers will enforce the ordinance. They will not be giving warnings. Fines for first offenses are $250, with fines of $500 and $1,000 for second and third violations.

The goal of the measure is to reduce the food that bears can find in the neighborhoods in Boulder where bear sightings most commonly occur. Bears who forage successfully in urban areas lose their fear of people, which can lead to threatening and aggressive behavior and the bear’s removal or killing. The city has been enforcing the ordinance in many neighborhoods west of Broadway since October 2014.

Information about the ordinance, plus tips about how to be bear safe, can be found online at bouldercolorado.gov/wildlife. Residents and businesses who wish to learn more about obtaining proper waste receptacles should contact their waste disposal company.

For more information, contact Urban Wildlife Conservation Coordinator Val Matheson at mathesonv@bouldercolorado.gov.