Columbia Falls passes emergency bear ordinance
A black bear feeds in the Flathead National Forest.
The Columbia Falls City Council passed an emergency bear ordinance Monday requiring people to secure garbage and other attractants from bears roaming into town.
The vote was unanimous in favor.
Like in 2022, when the city first passed such an ordinance, it’s been a bad berry year, and bruins have been frequenting the city limits in the past few weeks as they fatten up before winter hibernation.
Most reports have come from the city’s east side, where neighborhoods are closer to the mountains. But bears can easily show up anywhere, as they follow the Flathead River downstream.
The emergency ordinance would require that garbage not be placed out on the curb before 4 a.m. on pickup day.
It also requires that “all garbage, recycling containing food residue, food waste, and other attractants stored outdoors shall be maintained in a bear-resistant container, within a secured structure, or within a secured enclosure,” such as a garage or a secured and locked shed.
It also prohibits leaving pet feed outside a secured enclosure, includes provisions for securing garbage from commercial establishments, and makes it illegal to feed bears intentionally.
“Garbage, recycling containing food residue, food waste, or other attractants shall not be accumulated or left exposed in pickup beds, utility trailers, open yards, open porches, unsecured containers, or vehicles not designed for refuse transport,” the law reads.
The emergency law is more of an educational tool than an enforcement one.
“For the first 14 calendar days following adoption of this ordinance, the city shall prioritize public education, voluntary compliance, and written warnings whenever practical. Enforcement personnel should provide educational information and a written warning for a first observed violation during this period whenever practical,” the law notes.
The law states that people who ignore the warnings could be cited.
The city is also investigating long-term measures, likely through zoning, that could make some sections of the law permanent, depending on where a person lives in the city.