NYS: Don’t feed the bears!

New York’s DEC says a new regulation is in effect, banning the feeding of black bears.   This will affect both people who intentionally feed bears, and folks who leave garbage in areas that might attract the Yogi types.  Here’s the full release.

Responding to the growing number of conflicts between bears and people across New York State, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a new state regulation that prohibits the feeding of black bears.

As black bear numbers have increased significantly in recent years and bears have become more widespread throughout New York, the number of interactions between bears and people has grown, often resulting from the intentional or incidental feeding of bears.

Previously, DEC prohibited the intentional feeding of bears in proximity to certain locations. In an effort to reduce bear habituation to human-supplied foods and future human-bear conflicts, DEC’s new regulation prohibits both incidental and intentional feeding of bears statewide.

Specifically, the regulation bans intentional feeding of black bears, and, after previous written notice from DEC, also prohibits incidental or indirect feeding of black bears through food attractants such as garbage, refuse or bird seed. The regulation grants DEC the authority to require removal of these and other food attractants when bears become problematic.

DEC generally encourages discontinuing bird feeding activity in the Spring when bears emerge from their dens and natural foods for bears are not abundant and natural food for birds are becoming more available.

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4 Comments on “NYS: Don’t feed the bears!”

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  1. Pete Klein says:

    Does this regulation include the Chicago Bears or just Adirondack Bears?
    Has anyone informed the bears about this? Is this a form of discrimination?

  2. oa says:

    First deer-baiting, now bear-baiting outlawed. Damn liberal government!

  3. Paul says:

    I assume this means my mother will have to get rid of her bird feeder!

    If they become problematic why not remove the bear?

    Good to see they are keeping the legal team busy!

  4. Pete Klein says:

    Next thing you know and we’ll get arrested if we give a donut to a Trooper.

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