Bear activity sparks calls for stronger action

Editor’s Note: An original version of this story stated that the City of Leavenworth partnered with WDFW to become a BearWise® community. It has been edited to clarify that the city is working towards becoming an official BearWise® community, but it has not yet achieved that official status.

LEAVENWORTH — Black bears are becoming increasingly active around the City of Leavenworth, according to Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), largely due to human-provided attractants that interfere with bears’ natural behaviors.

Black bear activity in urban areas usually ramps up in years with mild winters, such as this one, according to WDFW spokesperson Nicole Jordan, who confirmed 62 reports of black bears in the Leavenworth area so far this year.

“This year we saw black bears actually come out of hibernation a little sooner than we usually would, like a couple weeks before, because it was warmer,” said Jordan.

Hibernation is intricately tied to cold temperatures and the seasonal availability of food, according to the National Wildlife Federation. A warmer winter can mean that bears are not only awake sooner, but before their natural food sources are in season.

“In years like this, where we've had minimal snowfall and higher than average temperatures, it draws them closer to any kind of attractant,” said Jordan.

While a mild winter may have led to an earlier and increased presence, bear activity is not new to Leavenworth. Surrounded by steep mountains, forest and rivers, the area serves as an ideal greenway or travel corridor for bears and other wildlife, according to WDFW. That picturesque topography, however, has also played a part in drawing in thousands of residents and over three million visitors each year.

Unsecured garbage and other human-provided food sources offer easy and efficient meals for bears, encouraging them to move deeper into neighborhoods and become habituated. Once they find access to food, they’re likely to keep coming back to it, said Jordan. With increased human-bear interactions, there’s more potential for heightened conflict, resulting in a bear either being relocated or lethally removed.

“We use the phrase, “a fed bear is a dead bear,” said Jordan. “If they're coming around humans more and more…they become more of a public safety concern.”

Efforts have been made to reduce bear habituation in the area. Over the last several years, the City of Leavenworth partnered with WDFW and is working towards becoming an official BearWise® community, investing in educational materials, installing bear-resistant trash cans in the pedestrian parts of downtown and sourcing bear-resistant cans for Cascade School District and Leavenworth Ski Hill. WDFW worked with the Chamber of Commerce to boost education for tourists, while Waste Management offers residents a bear-resistant can option for an additional $15 a month.

Jordan said WDFW typically focuses first on education and outreach before moving toward enforcement. A conflict specialist or enforcement officer will typically go to a site with recurring bear activity to assess and make recommendations.

“With incidents like recently, when there's a lot of black bear activity in an area…and the human-caused attractants aren't being addressed, then legally, our officers can cite those residents,” said Jordan.

In Washington, feeding or negligently attracting black bears is illegal under RCW 77.15.790 and other state laws; WDFW can issue fines up to $1,025.

Despite those efforts, concerns about bear attractants continue. The issue recently came to a head during a July 14 council meeting, in which several community members called for more city intervention.

Resident Marwa Mahmoud recalled a recent situation in which a bear had gotten into a trash can in her neighborhood. Rather than deter the bear, neighbors watched from an unsafe distance, she said.

“I then had a moment where I realized most people living in Leavenworth don't know how to interact safely with bears,” said Mahmoud. “Unfortunately, I've seen it in Leavenworth and the surrounding areas numerous times since.”

Mahmoud asked the council to consider making bear-resistant containers mandatory and readily available for residents and businesses, suggesting the city subsidize the added cost for a bear-resistant bin.

“I would suggest that a bear and a human's life are both worth more than that cost,” said Mahmoud.

Obertal Inn owner Hans Mulders, seconded Mahmoud’s comments, adding frustration over the lack of options for commercial bins. The city has been unable to find a bear-resistant option to the 300-gallon bins used commercially, but City Administrator Matthew Selby said that Kodiak Products would hopefully have a prototype available this fall.

“I just want to address having a couple people get up and put forth that the government needs to mandate additional costs,” said resident Ron Duncan, opposing the suggestions. “There are other solutions that people can have by keeping their trash in their garage, or whatever they want to do.”

Dana Kemmerling, a Leavenworth resident outside of city limits, stated that while it would be ideal to have everyone take responsibility for their own garbage, it hasn’t been the reality.

“I sure hope we can find a way to get the city onboard and the county. This isn't just a city problem. It is a county problem as well,” said Kemmerling.

Officials said conversations around implementing more BearWise practices have been ongoing, particularly among the Parks and Public Works Committee, with hopes to bring a draft ordinance to a council study session this September. 

“We'll be exploring possible options, multiple options, that we could actually provide to the community, and one size does not fit all,” said Council member Rob Eaton.