Franklin
county commissioners have started work on an ordinance designed to lower the
number of black bears coming into neighborhoods to forage through garbage cans
and eat pet food.
The commission agreed to start
the process of creating the ordinance so the county would be eligible for state
money to help pay for bear resistant garbage cans for county residents who can’t
afford them.
The state has a half million
dollars in the state game trust fund that can be shared by counties with black
bear populations; 60 percent of the money will go to counties that have a bear
attractants and garbage ordinance in place.
There may also be additional
money available from Save the wildlife tags that the county could tap into.
Commissioners did point out that
the program would not fully fund any bear proof garbage can program they might
start here, and whatever they do would require county money too – and there is
no money in the current budget for that.
Franklin County does not currently
have a bear ordinance in place, but we do have a problem of bears coming into
neighborhoods.
Most bears are drawn to
residential areas by the promise of easy food in unprotected garbage cans and
pet food bowls.
Most of the time the biggest problem
is overturned trash cans, but there have also been a few bear attacks in
Franklin County.
There were two attacks in
Eastpoint last year.
The county has asked its attorney
to begin drafting the wording for the ordinance but said they will look at
other alternatives too.
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