City eyes making 'bear law' permanent; hearing at next meeting

The Columbia Falls City Council Monday night voted 6-1 to go ahead with formalizing an Animal Conflict Prevention ordinance.

Mayor Don Barnhart was the lone vote against.

The council passed an emergency ordinance last fall as both black bears and grizzly bears were roaming city streets, getting into garbage and other human attractants.

The law would mirror the emergency ordinance passed by council in the fall and would require:

a.No outdoor feeding of domestic animals unless food is locked and secured overnight.

b.Store all attractants, including garbage and recycling, indoors or in bear-resistant garbage cans.

c. Remove ripe fruit from trees and areas around the trees. Do not leave fruit for bears and other animals.

d. Remove or empty bird feeders at night. Do not leave any food outdoors overnight.

e. Store coolers, grills, smokers, and any other items with food scent indoors.

f. All domestic and commercial waste should be properly secured or stored indoors. Do not accumulate garbage and recycling in truck beds, piled in yards or stored in vehicles.

g. Store garbage roll out indoors until morning of scheduled pick up.

h. Secure chicken coops and add electric fence if needed to deter bear activity.

The law will be formally advertised and council will hold a public hearing at its May 15 meeting. Bears are once again being sighted in town, particularly on the east side.

There was some concern by councilmembers that they should pass an emergency ordinance while the final law is being worked out, but since it wasn’t on the agenda, they couldn’t do it at Monday’s meeting.

The problem with waiting until a formal law is passed and finalized, is that it wouldn’t go into effect until mid-July.

City attorney Justin Breck cautioned council that if they pass an emergency ordinance, they should have some evidence of why they are doing so.

Council plans on inviting Justine Vallieres, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife conflict specialist to the next meeting.

The law is designed to not just discourage bears from getting into human foods, but other creatures like deer, skunks and raccoons as well.

They, too, will get into foods like bird seed. Skunks and raccoons will also eat pet food and chickens as well.

Since last fall, the city has been doing its part to prevent bear and other animal conflicts. City manager Susan Nicosia said the city spent $9,000 on bear resistant-garbage containers.

The problem with some containers, the Hungry Horse News has found, is that people don’t always properly latch them after throwing away garbage.

Thenext city council meeting is May 15 at 7 p.m.