Jackson Hole - Mandatory Bear Proof Trash Cans in Teton County - Save 399s Cubs

The Issue

Jackson Hole, it is beyond due time to require bear proof trash cans in Teton County. Our beloved Grizzly 610's two sons were recently euthanized for accessing food rewards primarily in the neighborhoods directly outside the relative safety of Grand Teton National Park. Of the 22 conflicts implicated in the second cubs death, 20 were due to improper food storage in these neighborhoods, largely trash. It is truly unacceptable that there is no mandate for bear proof trash cans in place to prevent these conflicts from happening. The deaths of 610s two cubs brought this issue into the spotlight but needless deaths of this nature have been going on for many many years. We fear that world famous Grizzly 399's cubs will face a similar fate if they are allowed to disperse into the same hostile environment full of unsecured trash if there are no bear proof can ordinances put in place. This is the first responsible step into ensuring that these bears have the best chance of survival in their adult life. 

Our beloved park grizzlies and black bears alike face a gauntlet of life threatening peril when they leave the boundaries and venture into these neighborhoods. The biggest threat by far is unsecured trash that habituates them to human food, leading ultimately to euthanasia. As residents of this beautiful valley, we are blessed to be living so close to these incredible animals and we need to be respectful of their homes as well. This can be accomplished by accepting the responsibility of securing our waste.

Please let our County Commissioners and Mayor know that you support enacting a bear proof trash can ordinance to save our bears by signing this petition. In the memory of 610s two beautiful sons, and in the interest of protecting 399s next generation and all the other bears in our ecosystem. Thank you.

avatar of the starter
Savannah RosePetition Starter
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Victory
This petition made change with 75,037 supporters!

The Issue

Jackson Hole, it is beyond due time to require bear proof trash cans in Teton County. Our beloved Grizzly 610's two sons were recently euthanized for accessing food rewards primarily in the neighborhoods directly outside the relative safety of Grand Teton National Park. Of the 22 conflicts implicated in the second cubs death, 20 were due to improper food storage in these neighborhoods, largely trash. It is truly unacceptable that there is no mandate for bear proof trash cans in place to prevent these conflicts from happening. The deaths of 610s two cubs brought this issue into the spotlight but needless deaths of this nature have been going on for many many years. We fear that world famous Grizzly 399's cubs will face a similar fate if they are allowed to disperse into the same hostile environment full of unsecured trash if there are no bear proof can ordinances put in place. This is the first responsible step into ensuring that these bears have the best chance of survival in their adult life. 

Our beloved park grizzlies and black bears alike face a gauntlet of life threatening peril when they leave the boundaries and venture into these neighborhoods. The biggest threat by far is unsecured trash that habituates them to human food, leading ultimately to euthanasia. As residents of this beautiful valley, we are blessed to be living so close to these incredible animals and we need to be respectful of their homes as well. This can be accomplished by accepting the responsibility of securing our waste.

Please let our County Commissioners and Mayor know that you support enacting a bear proof trash can ordinance to save our bears by signing this petition. In the memory of 610s two beautiful sons, and in the interest of protecting 399s next generation and all the other bears in our ecosystem. Thank you.

avatar of the starter
Savannah RosePetition Starter
Media inquiries

The Decision Makers

Teton County Commissioners
Teton County Commissioners
Responded
“I’d like to express my gratitude to the resident who started the petition, to all who signed it, and to Change.org for making these kinds of grassroots efforts possible. The petition drive has been influential in spurring us to more rapid action on the issue of bear proof containers. Here’s some information on our current state of affairs as explained not long ago in an email from our county Planning Director: "The Town of Jackson has not adopted bear conflict regulations….. Teton County has two Bear Conflict Priority Areas that are mapped in our GIS system, and to which our bear conflicts standards apply: Conflict Priority Area 1 (CPA 1), and Conflict Priority Area 2 (CPA 2). In very general terms, Area 1 is west of Spring Gulch Road and west of South Park Loop Road, and Area 2 is to the east (with some exceptions). More information on the Bear Conflict Area maps can be found on the Teton County GIS system: https://maps.greenwoodmap.com/tetonwy/mapserver/map#zcr=3.602496475498748/2436998.9161534915/1413734.1882277138/0&lyrs=a2019,bear,water,tojcorp,Roads,ownership,placelabels&filter=(pidn%20in('22-45-13-21-4-00-008')) (The Bear Conflict layer is found under Planning & Building Background Layers, but it should show up automatically if you use this link above.) Conflict Area 1 includes areas of the County that “overlap with, lay adjacent to, or are in close proximity to, known bear-occupied habitat and/or regular travel corridors and/or seasonal bear-use areas, as documented by empirical research or wildlife management actions or observations.” “Conflict Area 2 refers to areas in Teton County that are within close proximity to, or lie adjacent to, CPA 1. Areas within CPA 2 contain habitat that is not suitable for regular, seasonal or occasional bear occupancy and or use.” Within Conflict Priority Area 1 (Wilson, 390 area, and along the Snake River), bear proof trash storage regulations are in effect. These regulations require use of bear-resistant trash cans, or bear-resistant dumpsters. Grease storage containers are also required to be bear-resistant or stored indoors. Bear-resistant containers or dumpsters must meet the “minimum structural design standards” published by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) in 1989. The mapped conflict areas and the regulations can be amended if they are not sufficient to protect wildlife. Code enforcement and education are another important part of the formula. The Planning and Public Works departments, along with our Public Information Officer and several partner organizations (Teton Conservation District, Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, Game & Fish Department) in the county, are planning an education campaign this fall to inform the community about the dangers of wildlife feeding. We also recently sent notices of violation to several commercial property owners in the Wilson area and along Hwy 390 to let them know their existing dumpsters did not meet our standards. We are also hiring a second code compliance officer to help enforce these regulations. And our Senior Long Range Planner is undertaking a review of our regulations and policies with an eye on possible solutions." As well, I personally have opened discussions with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation (I serve on that organization’s board) about building a program to further awareness, serve as a clearing house for information, and hopefully even provide zero-interest loans and rebates for turning in non-bear-proof containers in exchange for bear-proof containers. All that said, there’s much yet to be done. And I really appreciate the passion that poured forth from the petition drive. I hope petitioners will continue their interest and help be part of the solution by keeping the cause on the front burner, spreading the word, and doing everything they can as individuals to properly handle food and waste according to bear-resistant/bear-proof standards. All my best! Sincerely, Mark Newcomb Teton County, Wyoming Commission”

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Petition created on October 7, 2021