INFORMATION RELEASE

During the week of August 31st to September 4th, members of the Juneau Bear Committee (JBC) will be out canvassing the Juneau area to provide education to community members on what qualifies as a bear resistant garbage can.

The JBC will be adhering educational stickers to the tops of non-bear resistant garbage cans rented by residents, and provided by Alaska Waste, to help educate the public about cans that are not bear resistant and therefore should be stored in a manner that prevents bears from gaining access. (ex: in a secure structure like a garage, etc.). Alaska Waste has granted the JBC permission to do this. The JBC will also be hanging informational fliers from the cans as a secondary way to help education the public about how to store garbage/attractants responsibly.

This year has been shaping up to be a record year when it comes to bear-related calls and complaints made to ADF&G and the Juneau Police Department. This is because of a large number of young (also known as yearling) bears that are gaining access to unsecured attractants in the Juneau area. These bears are at risk of becoming not only food conditioned, but also habituated to the presence of humans. This means they are not afraid of humans, and see human trash as a food source. This may create a dangerous situation for neighborhoods and the community as a whole. The canvassing event is an effort to help educate citizens on the importance of securing attractants by educating them on what is commonly misunderstood as a “bear resistant container” – the garbage cans with a little red latch on top.

The Juneau Bear Committee consists of representatives from the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game - Div. of Wildlife Conservation, the Juneau Police Department, City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska Waste Connections, in partnership with the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Southeast Chapter, as well as community volunteers.

An image of the educational sticker will be posted to the JPD Facebook page.