Bear-Smart garbage ordinance in full effect
Laura Lundquist
(Missoula Current) After a warm winter and early spring, bears are definitely out and about. Fortunately for them, the final phase of Missoula’s Bear Buffer Zone garbage ordinance just kicked in.
On April 30, Phase 3 of Missoula’s bear-smart garbage ordinance went into effect, requiring that residents use bear-resistant garbage containers in a region arcing south from Milltown, almost to Lolo, and west to Grass Valley; and another region north of Interstate 90 from west of Grant Creek almost to Frenchtown. Garbage collection companies will be issuing bear-resistant containers to customers, but it may take time due to availability.
Bear-resistant garbage cans and dumpsters are available through Grizzly Disposal, Republic Services, Bitterroot Disposal, and other sanitation companies. If bear-resistant options are not available, Bear Smart Missoula asks people to encourage local disposal companies to offer options for bear-resistant roll outs and dumpsters. If you are interested in building a bear-resistant enclosure or garbage rack, contact Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
This will complete all three phases of the Bear Buffer Zone garbage ordinance that Missoula County and the City of Missoula adopted in fall 2023. Phase 1 went into effect two years ago and affected residents north of Interstate 90 in the Rattlesnake and Grant creek watersheds. Phase 2 went into effect last year and included residents in the University area and the South Hills. Now, all areas surrounding Missoula except a region between I-90 and Mullen Road are included.
Potomac also has a garbage storage ordinance that went into effect in the fall of 2024.
Residents should learn how to use their bear-resistant containers correctly. When bears do get into bear-resistant cans, dumpsters or enclosures, it’s due to human error and improper latching. When bears learn that they can access garbage, they often return.
With the new garbage ordinance going into effect, FWP biologists say residents may see some individual bears breaking into or entering sheds and garages in their attempts to access garbage. After years of being able to access uncontained garbage, certain bears may have become food-conditioned and might be more driven. Call FWP immediately if bears break into any sheds, buildings, or homes.
Over time, this type of behavior should disappear in the bear population, except during years when bears are suffering from an extreme natural-food failure, e.g. berry crops are low. The key is to be vigilant and follow bear-smart community guidelines, according to FWP.Bear activity is expected to increase in the valleys during May. But FWP has already received some reports of bears being attracted by garbage, according to the Missoula Bears April report.
For example, in April, several black bears were reported accessing uncontained garbage on Mallard Way and the Harpers Bridge Road along the Clark Fork River west of Missoula. Another black bear accessed garbage stored in a vehicle at a homesite in Bear Creek west of Drummond.
Bird feeders and pet food also attract bears, sometimes to the detriment of the bear. Game wardens had to euthanize a black bear at a home near Georgetown Lake after the bear damaged the house in its search for bird seed. In Missoula’s Greenough Park, black bear was observed roosting in a tree and the same bear may have got into a front-yard library stand to access dog treats. Finally, residents reported a grizzly bear visiting home sites along the edges of Seeley Lake. The bear accessed a bird feeder and tipped over a barbecue grill at one residence.
FWP recommends that bird feeders be removed from April 1 through Dec. 1, pet food should be kept inside and barbecues should be stored in a locked building when not in use. Also, small farm animals, bee hives and chicken coops can be protected with a properly installed bear-resistant electric fence. For more information on electric fencing, visit the FWP Be Bear Aware website.
Finally, as the warm weather encourages more people to start hiking and camping, always carry bear spray and know how to use it. That applies across western Montana, because grizzly bears are slowly expanding into their historic ranges.
For example, a grizzly bear was photographed and tracks were reported in Missoula’s North Hills, and FWP has fielded multiple reports of at least two grizzlies in the Ninemile Valley west of Missoula. No grizzly activity has been reported in the Bitterroot, Deer Lodge, or Big Hole Valleys yet this season, but they’ve turned up there in past years.
Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.