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Bear Smart Durango provides La Plata County landowners with an incentive of up to $100 in electric fencing materials to protect chicken coops, bee hives, fruit trees, compost, small livestock and more from bears via electric fencing. Program goals are to increase the amount of small-scale, backyard use of electric fencing as a bear deterrent in the county.
Note: This program is not available to city residents as electric fencing is not allowed within city limits.
To insure that fences are constructed properly, rebates are no longer offered and Bear Smart Durango offers assistance to landowners with design in addition to help with install of electric fencing to deter bears. Program participants are asked to purchase some materials, (typically the fence energizer and whatever posts are to be used), assist with installation and make a donation towards program sustainability.
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“I live outside of town and my home backs up to wild lands where bears, mountain lions, coyotes and foxes have all been seen. I’d like to thank Bear Smart Durango for their help. The fence energizer provided to me as part of their program to help small food producers protect against bear intrusions is working great. Unfortunately I know from personal experience that it packs quite a wallop and I’m sure it will deter a bruin from getting into the chickens. I am grateful that this fencing not only protects my chickens but protects bears whose interactions with humans endanger their lives as well.”
– Ed Young, La Plata County resident
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“I want to thank Bear Smart Durango for helping La Plata County residents with electric fencing. We try to help out folks but sometimes they don’t qualify. I know you have helped people with electric fence systems in my district and they are very happy with the assistance Bear Smart provided as well as the peace of mind in keeping bears away.”
– Stephanie Schuler, District Wildlife Manager, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
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“Agritek Fence has supported Bear Smart’s electric fencing program from day one. We believed it would not only give residents the nudge to start the process but would also provide the technical support to see the job through and ensure it was done correctly. We were right. Electric fencing has gone from a scary proposition to a very viable and achievable option for the community members that have been reached. It’s my honest opinion that this program has only just scratched the surface of its capabilities in our area and I look forward to many more seasons helping people and bears coexist.”
– KayCe Chadborn, Agritek Fence