No thanks. I already ate.: recent grants

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

recent grants

Bear Smart Durango has received grant funding to allow for completion of bear and trash monitoring projects in the City of Durango and La Plata County. We were awarded $2,000 from the La Plata Electric Association Round-up Foundation and $5,000 from Durango City Council. In addition, we received $250 from La Plata County towards this program.

Funds will be used for a.m. and p.m. trash monitoring, trash can tagging, weekly data compilation, monthly bear activity reports to policy makers, year-end GIS mapping (with the assistance of La Plata County GIS Department) and analysis (with assistance of Fort Lewis College) and recommendations for moving forward. County funding will be used for re-printing of trash can tags to include the county's logo.

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how you can help

Most importantly is to remove any attractants from your property that will lure bears, which creates "problem" bears in the first place. Remove the food source and you remove the bear. Here are a few other ways you can contribute:

• Be a good neighbor, by talking to them, and notifying them on how to not attract bears to your neighborhood.

• Make bird feeders inaccessible on first sign of bears being in your area. All it takes is once, and bears easily recall this valuable, high-caloric food reward (a seven pound tube of black oil birdseed contains 12,000 calories).

• If you have fruit trees and actually use the fruit and dont want damage to limbs, get all fruit off the tree, shake the fruit off if necessary and pick before fruit is ripe. Remove any and all fallen fruit from the ground.

• Report bear sightings.

• Notify your elected officials when you are experiencing bear issues. Or write a letter to the editor. People that draft policy don't address something they never hear about.

• Get a wildlife-resistant trash container for your home. If you have a dumpster, talk to your waste provider about upgrading or modifying with metal lids and latches to make it wildlife-proof.

• If you live in the county, consider electric fencing to protect things of value from damage, injury or death from bears.

• Feel free to help out financially. We accept contributions year-round, not just during bear season.

• Volunteer some time during bear season.

Please allow bears to remain wild bears.