Conservation officers recently issued four Dangerous Wildlife Protection Orders (DWPOs) in Valleycliffe as part of an effort to crack down on those who aren't properly managing their wildlife attractants.
A DWPO is an order to clean up an attractant such as garbage or unpicked fruit. Failure to do so may result in a charge of attracting dangerous wildlife, which carries a fine of $230, Sgt. Peter Busink of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in a statement issued on Sunday (Aug. 26).
Busink said the fact that officers have had to shoot seven black bears in the Squamish area this summer after they were deemed public safety threats is a direct result of careless management of attractants.
"The Conservation Officer Service is concerned that some of the residents of Squamish are still not understanding the link between their attractants and the destruction of bears," Busink wrote. "Most residents of our Bear Smart community are taking responsibility to ensure garbage is not accessible, bird feeders are put away, and fruit trees are picked early or have electric fencing.
"However, there are still people that are failing to properly manage their attractants and take responsibility for their local wildlife. This causes a safety risk to their neighbours by bringing the bears in, and gives the bears a reason to stick around. The longer bears stay in an urban area, the more habituated to humans they become.
"The more a bear becomes food conditioned and habituated, the higher a public safety risk it becomes, and will likely eventually have to be destroyed due to the elevated risk."
Garbage must be stored in an area out of the reach of bears and locks must be used on garbage totes. Fruit trees should be cut down or surrounded by electric fencing, or failing that, fruit must be picked as is ripens, Busink said.
The DWPOs issued in Valleycliffe were all for failing to pick fruit from fruit trees, Busink said.
To report wildlife issues, call the Ministry of Environment's toll-free hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
