Electric fencing for bear attractants garners 50% reimbursement program
Here in Montana, many of us live, travel and recreate in bear country. Being “bear aware” here is more a requirement than a recommendation. However, it can be easy to overlook the common bear attractants in our backyards that can become sources of human-bear conflict, especially if you are new to living in landscapes populated by bears.
As grizzly populations slowly return to their historic range, people are encountering them in some areas for the first time in decades. In other areas like Bigfork and the Swan Valley, they’ve never left, along with robust black bear populations. In both cases, if attractants like garbage, bird feeders, grills, livestock feed, and chickens are left unsecured, chances are good that you’re eventually going to be faced with a bear conflict. Conflict with people is a major cause of grizzly bear mortality, reduces human tolerance for the species, and poses risks to human safety. In 2010, Defenders of Wildlife developed the Electric Fencing Incentive Program to address human-bear conflicts. The financial and technical assistance offered through the program helps landowners pay for, set up and maintain electric fencing to secure their livestock, beehives, gardens or anything else that can attract bears.
In addition, Defenders’ Rockies and Plains program field staff work directly with communities and landowners to improve awareness and implement a variety of conflict reduction measures across five grizzly bear ecosystems: Greater Yellowstone, Northern Continental Divide, Cabinet Yaak, Selkirk and Bitterroot. Our Northwest office works with communities in the North Cascades Ecosystem. In addition to individuals and communities, Defenders works with nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and state, federal and tribal agencies to get the work done.
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