3/30/2010 12:24 PM
Following up on the
Aspen area's busiest bear conflict year in recent history, the Colorado
Division of Wildlife is looking for members of the public to help educate
others about avoiding problems with black bears. The Division of Wildlife has
teamed up with the City of Aspen, Aspen Police Department and Pitkin County to
form a volunteer Bear Aware team that will work around Aspen and Pitkin County.
Volunteers for the team are being recruited from the area.
An initial training and interview session for the team will take place on Wednesday,
April 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Rio Grande Room (455 Rio
Grande Place) in Aspen. Volunteers selected for the team will be required to
attend a follow-up training the evening of Tuesday, April 20.
Bear Aware team members will be used in neighborhoods where bear activity is occurring.
The volunteers will go door-to-door to provide information and to spot bear
attractants that could be eliminated. The volunteers will not be empowered to
enforce laws, regulation or ordinances but they will be able to bring
violations to the attention of the appropriate authorities. Bear Aware team
members do not handle or deal with bears but as volunteers they may have
opportunities to work with wildlife officers when bears are captured for
research or relocation.
Bear Aware teams have been successful at reducing black bear conflict in other
mountain communities but previous efforts in the Aspen area have failed to
generate a sufficient number of volunteers.
"We didn't become successful in Summit County overnight," said Gail
Marshall, a volunteer who heads up the Summit County Bear Aware Team. "We
started years ago by putting up signs and then we started walking door-to-door.
Then we worked with the media, the local governments and law enforcement
agencies, the school district, the ski resorts, lodging companies, homeowner's
associations, restaurants, chambers, residents and visitors. Today, we're still
learning and growing but we're making a positive difference for bears in our
community."
"We're hoping concerned community members are willing to step up and make
a difference through the Bear Aware effort," said Kevin Wright, District
Wildlife Manger for the area. "We would rather do everything we can to
prevent bear conflicts than end up in the situation where we have to put bears
down. To get there, we need everyone's help."
Anyone who is interested in learning more about the Aspen Bear Aware team and
team member responsibilities is encouraged to attend the Aspen meeting on April
14. For questions about the meeting, contact the Division of Wildlife office in
Glenwood Springs at (970) 947-2920.
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