A new ad hoc committee Haines Borough manager Debra Schnabel created has one goal in mind: to reduce bear and human interactions.
Last week, the Haines Borough Assembly approved the Bear Task Force.
The group’s stated objective is to “reduce Haines Police and State Trooper time dealing with bear issues by reducing bear-garbage encounters,” by March 31.
Based on the group’s recommendations, Schnabel predicts that legislation or directives will follow.
Committee members include Alaska Fish and Game biologists Carl Koch and Anthony Crupi, Takshanuk Watershed Council director Derek Poinsette, Alaska Division of Parks ranger Travis Russell, Haines Borough police chief Heath Scott, and Community Waste Solutions manager Craig Franke.
In October, Koch visited Haines along with Juneau wildlife trooper Jake Abbott to address increased calls of bear activity. Bears had broken into homes seeking food sources, damaged property, and charged a resident near their home in town.
Creating or permitting a bear attractant nuisance (including more than one half gallon of waste) is a violation of borough code, punishable by a $100 fine.
At the time of Koch and Abbott’s visit, no citations were issued. “We did give a couple of warnings for some unsecured trash where the residents in those particular areas knew there had been a prior issue,” Abbott said. “We decided to issue those residents verbal warnings for negligently feeding game.”
Abbott said that often with nuisance issues of bears getting into trash, “a lot of it comes down to homeowners being ignorant when they don’t realize (what’s) an attractant.” As for issuing citations, Abbott said that troopers leave that up to local law enforcement.
“Typically, we let the police department handle that since it’s within their jurisdiction and their borough,” he said.
Chief Scott said that his philosophy gives preference to educating the public rather than ticketing them. “As we had mounting problems (with bears), we got more aggressive about education,” he said.
Since September, the police have received more than 80 calls reporting bear activity, though it’s issued no citations for creating or permitting a bear attractant nuisance. Ranger Russell said he’s issued no citations this summer or fall. Former wildlife trooper Wallace Kirksey issued one citation last month, records show.
Poinsette, who was appointed by Schnabel to chair the committee, said he expects the issue of solid waste management to come up. “It’s just difficult to get rid of garbage here, and maybe that’s something we can look at making easier,” he said.
Community Waste Solutions is in the midst of laying two acres of electric fencing around the active portion of the landfill, which should deter bear activity in the spring when they come out of hibernation, Franke said. The landfill also got its composter operating again, so the majority of waste that comes in is processed immediately, he added.
Crupi offered the task force a summary of a similar experience in Canmore, British Columbia. The town eliminated curbside garbage collection to reduce bear-human encounters, and instead implemented a “bear bin” collection system. Those who did not wish to use animal-proof containers had to adhere to strict regulations the type of containers waste was stored in and the hours it was allowed to be on the street for collection. After the change, the town reported eliminating all bear-human interactions the following summer.
“I will be pulling some other communities’ legislation that they have used,” Schnabel said this week. “Do we want to provide for bear canisters? Do we want to limit collection times?”
The committee will present recommendations to Schnabel by April 2020. Poinsette will call the first meeting after Thanksgiving, though dates have not been set. Meetings will be open to the public.