Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables... & Bears

Ya the Tittle may echo Old Punk, but the message is clearly New Age.... lets help get our fruit off of the residential trees and bushes of Bella Coola Vallay before the bears are attracted to it and become food conditioned, which is ultimately a bad thing.

Bella Coola Valley is striving to become a Bear Smart Community, limiting negative interactions between bears and humans, and protecting bears and humans from uncomfortable interactions.

There are six criteria that need to be satisfied for a district or municipality to achieve "Bear Smart" status:

1/ Prepare a Bear Hazard Assessment using the criteria outlined.

2/ Prepare a bear-human conflict management plan designed to

address the bear hazards and land-use conflicts identified in the

hazard assessment.

3/ Revise planning and decision-making documents to be

consistent with the bear-human conflict management plan.

4/ Implement a continuing education program directed at all sectors

of the community.

5/ Develop and maintain a bear-proof municipal solid waste

management system.

6/ Implement "Bear Smart" bylaws prohibiting the provision of

food to bears as a result of intent, neglect, or irresponsible

management of attractants.

While it is a challenge to incorporate these types of ecological and sustainable ideas into a newly flourishing tourism-based community, several locals are trying their best and we hope to see a swing towards bear-human sustainability in our small yet pristine ecosystem in the near future.

Bella Coola's Coast Mountain lodge and Kynoch Adventures does its part by ridding trees of excess fruit, keeping a clean lodge grounds and exposing visitors to natural wonders of the rain forest ecosystem that will hopefully inspire them to maintain proper bear-etiquette..