Reminder to Community: Prevention of Human Bear Conflict
The Sumas First Nation Lands Department has received multiple complaints regarding:
- Black bear sightings and access to garbage
- Discharge of firearms within residential areas
Black bears naturally inhabit Sumas Mountain and are opportunistic in their search for easy meals. Human bear conflicts arise when black bears become accustomed to feeding on garbage, compost, bird seed, pet food, and unharvested fruit. Even unrinsed pop cans and dirty barbeques can attract bears. Once a bear becomes accustomed to accessing human resources for food, addressing the human bear conflict becomes incredibly difficult. Black bears that are relocated often return to their original territory or go on to disturb other communities. Many black bears conditioned to human food are ultimately destroyed. A fed bear is a dead bear.
The best way to avoid conflicts with black bears is to reduce attractants. This is a reminder that we must work together to avoid attracting black bears to our community. To avoid attracting black bears, please remember to:
- place garbage and compost outside your home the morning of collection
- ensure unharvested fruit and vegetables aren’t left on the property
- avoid leaving pet food or bird seed outside
- ensure barbeques are cleaned after use
Further, the use of firearms to frighten or harm black bears within the community is strictly prohibited (unless a bear is a direct threat, meaning it is approaching or charging you) under the Wildlife Act (1996) and the Firearm Violence Prevention Act (2021). All owners of firearms have a legal obligation to comply with regulations related to public safety and conservation. For the safety of the community, firearms must not be discharged within 100 meters of houses or roads.
Sumas First Nation is searching for opportunities to host additional bear awareness training sessions to ensure both the safety of our community and wildlife. Please stay tuned for more information and contact Sasha Tuttle, Environmental Compliance Officer, should you have any questions.
Sasha Tuttle, RP Bio
Environmental Compliance Officer
Semá:th First Nation
Cell: (604) 226 – 6051
Email: sasha.tuttle@sumasfirstnation.com
