Black bear interactions in Summerland are an ongoing concern for the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen’s WildSafe coordinator.
Last year, 17 per cent of calls to conservation officers about wildlife encounters were from Summerland.
Zoe Kirk, community coordinator of WildSafe, told municipal council last week there are measures which could be taken to reduce the number of wildlife encounters.
She recommends ending the practice of residents setting out their garbage before collection day.
The smell of the garbage draws bears and other wildlife, at times resulting in human-wildlife conflicts.
“What we really want to avoid is a high-risk lunch,” she said.
In fall, a garbage audit was conducted in Summerland to determine how many residents were setting out their garbage early. The audits showed a significant number who set out their garbage the night before collection.
On the other side of Okanagan Lake, Naramata has enforced a garbage bylaw, ending the practice of residents setting out their garbage before collection day.
As a result, the number of bear encounters in that community has dropped significantly, Kirk said.
“I am really pleased with how well that community has supported it,” she said.
She added that enforcing a garbage bylaw in Summerland would be an important measure, but the reduction in bear encounters will not happen instantly, since bears here have grown up with garbage as a readily available food source.
In addition, she said it takes roughly one full year before a community complies with a strict garbage bylaw.