Bear Sightings in Our Neighborhood

Hey neighbors,

We wanted to bring something important to everyone's attention: there have been recent sightings of bears in our neighborhood. It's crucial that we all stay vigilant and take necessary precautions to ensure our safety and the safety of our community and children. The bears (a mother and her cub) have been seen at the playground at various times throughout the day.

These sightings serve as a reminder that we share our environment with wildlife, and it's essential to respect their space while also taking steps to minimize potential conflicts. The information below comes directly from the WA State Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to help us coexist safely:

• Remember- Bears are typically present because of an attractant.

  
  

  The first step would be to secure your garbage either in a garage or locked shed to prevent the bear from having access to it. If you don’t have a garage or shed we recommend contacting your waste disposal company and seeing if they offer bear proof garbage cans.

• On garbage pickup day when garbage cans are out you can use bleach or pine sol and pour it either in or around your can, or soak rags and place them on top to help mask the smell of food.

• We also request you take down bird/suet feeders as bears are attracted to these as well.

• BBQ’s and/or firepits need to be cleaned to remove any food smell as well.

  
  
  
  

  We also strongly recommend talking with your neighbors to make sure they are following the same guidelines. If you do your part to clean up but your neighbor doesn’t, the bear will continue to come to your properties and cause damage while looking for food.  It is extremely important that EVERYONE is on the same page. 

If after you’ve tried the above methods and the bear continues to return, please contact WILDCOMM at 360-902-2936 Opt. 1 to file a report. Remember- bears rely heavily on smells and their hearing to get around and to locate food.  Making noise can work very well in deterring certain bears, so something as simple as clapping your hands or using a noise maker can be effective in deterring them. 

It is very important to know that you could be cited for feeding dangerous wildlife either intentionally or unintentionally:

RCW 77.15.792 Intentionally feeding or attempting to feed large wild carnivores or intentionally attracting large wild carnivores to land or a building—Penalty.

(1) A person may not intentionally feed or attempt to feed large wild carnivores or intentionally attract large wild carnivores to land or a building.

(2) A person who intentionally feeds, attempts to feed, or attracts large wild carnivores to land or a building is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(3) A person who is issued an infraction under RCW 77.15.790for negligently feeding, attempting to feed, or attracting large wild carnivores to land or a building, and who fails to contain, move, or remove the food, food waste, or other substance within twenty-four hours of being issued the infraction, is guilty of a misdemeanor

Here is a link that talks a bit more about living in an area with bears and how to avoid conflict with them: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/ursus-americanus  

Here is a link that talks about why bears are not relocated more often: https://wdfw.medium.com/why-cant-more-black-bears-be-relocated-following-conflicts-e7c40700dbbd

Stay safe!

MRE HOA