Green Mountain Falls one of 11 Colorado communities receiving state funds to reduce human-bear conflicts
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A bill passed by the state Legislature this year will provide nearly a dozen communities with money, through Colorado Parks & Wildlife, to minimize the number of times that bears and humans get too close for comfort.
The bill allocates $1 million, specifically for native species conservation, seeking to reduce human food sources for bears that could endanger people and damage property, as well as making people more aware of bear activity to prevent the animals from being euthanized or relocated.
According to a release issued Friday by Gov. Jared Polis, Green Mountain Falls -- a small town located in Ute Pass along U.S. 24 between Manitou Springs and Woodland Park -- will receive $56,500.
Todd Dixon, the town's new mayor, said that he learned of the funding during an informal meeting with CPW.
"We were hoping to get it," he said. "It's hard for small towns like ours to pay for things like this. We had 13 calls about bears last year, 25 calls in 2020 and 17 calls in 2019. So the numbers are holding fairly steady. That covers various interactions -- bears in cars, bears in trash, sightings, etc."
Dixon said that he once had a bear at his back door.
"I yelled and waved my arms, and just kind of looked at me and sauntered off," he said.
The release explains that Green Mountain Falls has most of its bear-human conflicts in the spring as the animals awaken from hibernation, as opposed to other communities that see more conflicts in the fall as bears seek to eat more and gain weight before they start hibernation.
"We're right in the middle of bear habitat," Dixon said. "I don't think we're seeing an increase in calls. I think we're having more people moving here to live, to vacation and to work -- and they may not know what to do and not to do when it comes to bears. There's certainly room for improvement."
The release outlines that Green Mountain Falls proposes to spend the money on ten additional wildlife-resistant trash receptacles for parks, public spaces and trailheads; a wildlife-resistant dumpster enclosure for businesses to share in the town's commercial district; and signs to promote bear awareness.
"We tend to call it the bear smorgasbord, occasionally," Dixon said.
The town was one of 29 communities applying for the first-of-its kind grant; amounts ranged from $225,000 in the Roaring Fork/Eagle valleys to $27,000 in the Dolores/Cortez area.
Strategies planned by other recipient communities include installing electric fencing and increasing enforcement to discourage human behavior that promotes conflicts with bears.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife, along with an outside advisory board, reviewed the applications and decided which communities would receive the money.
The funding is on a one-time basis and is available to recipients until June 2024.
Joey Livingston, spokesman for CPW, said that there are a variety of steps that people can take to avoid bear confrontations.
"Anything that has a smell can attract a bear," he said. "Trash, birdseed. Barbecue grills, make sure you keep them clean. Anything you cook with outside, keep it clean. Don't leave food out in the open. If you have chickens or livestock, keep them secure with electric fencing. Beehives, even fruit trees. Bears are always looking for easy feeding opportunities, especially if their natural food sources are down because of weather."
