Bear Smart Durango always strives to make our community truly a “Bear Smart” one. As we continue to educate current residents on Bear Smart practices our community continues to grow as well – adding new residents that are likely unfamiliar with local wildlife issues. Problems can arise when these new residents provide opportunities for bears to access human foods, thereby creating bear-conflict hot spots in areas where bear issues were previously non-existent. This, obviously, makes reducing human-bear conflict in our area rather difficult!
Through the Bear Smart Builder Program we hope to work together with local builders, developers and realtors to: 1) provide educational outreach to new homebuyers to limit the addition of potential human-food attractants and human-bear conflict, and 2) hopefully add more bear-proofing of trash.
Did you know? You can provide a bear-resistant trash container or dumpster for your customers for less than $50.
The Bear Smart Builder Program is a great way for local businesses to set themselves apart in our community and strengthen their reputation as responsible builders – ones that build and sell responsibly in bear country. This voluntary program is an offshoot of our Corporate Sponsorship program and is open to La Plata County businesses. The program goals are:
- Rewarding socially and environmentally-conscious area businesses,
- Connecting consumers with businesses adopting Bear Smart practices,
- Raising human-bear conflict awareness,
- Eliminating the creation of “new” human-bear conflict hot spots, and
- Increasing the amount of bear-proofing in the community.
Homebuilders, developers, realtors and others, would sponsor Bear Smart Durango outreach efforts and in return we would publicly reward efforts.
Program Goals
√ Providing new homeowners with Bear Smart inserts in new homebuyers packets
√ Providing new homeowners with a bear-resistant trash container, trash enclosure or communal dumpster – or sponsor the first year of service for a bear-resistant trash container (as little as $50), and:
√ Providing a designated bear-resistant trash container to accept food refuse at construction sites (see below)
Construction Site Refuse Disposal
So as to not start bear and trash problems in locations that do not already have issues, all construction sites or areas must have a designated container that receives refuse edible by bears and other wildlife. This container shall be either a wildlife-resistant trash container, or a container that is either emptied at the end of each workday and securely stored inside a trailer or building – or hauled away.