Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced Tuesday it is distributing $1 million to fund 17 projects aimed at reducing conflicts between humans and black bears across the state. The funding, part of CPW's Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Grants, comes as bears are increasingly seeking human food sources, leading to a record number of confirmed attacks this year. For local residents, these types of initiatives are critical to public safety and to preventing property damage from hungry bears.
The latest round of grants brings the total distributed by the program to $3.9 million since its creation in 2021. Governor Jared Polis commented on the importance of these "common-sense and data-driven strategies" in a statement, noting that Colorado's landscapes and outdoor opportunities attract both people and animals. He emphasized the need to ensure safety for both Coloradans and wildlife.
While specific Grand Junction or Mesa County projects were not detailed in the announcement, the grants support various community-level solutions. For example, Manitou Springs received $100,000 to provide residents with bear-resistant trash bins. Eagle will use $35,000 for a dumpster enclosure system at a new preschool, and Minturn secured $100,000 to build a secure trash system for its commercial district. The YMCA of Northern Colorado was also awarded $33,000 to install permanent infrastructure like electric fencing. These projects illustrate the range of approaches communities are taking to deter bears from accessing human food.
Bears often seek human food, particularly discarded items in trash cans, when their natural diet is limited, according to a 2015 report from CPW. Factors like late freezes or prolonged drought can diminish natural food sources. Bears are particularly hungry from mid-August to late September as they prepare for hibernation, making them more likely to venture into human-populated areas. The CPW report indicates that black bears can quickly become conditioned to human-provided food, which leads to conflicts reoccurring in the same locations as bears return to where they've found food before.
Recent incidents across Colorado highlight the growing issue. CPW believes a bear is responsible for dozens of garage break-ins in Littleton. In September alone, bears scratched a man in his backyard in Steamboat Springs, bit a woman at a campground near South Fork, and broke into a teenage girl’s bedroom in Durango. A bear also climbed into a tree in Denver's Platt Park neighborhood in late August. This year, there have been 10 confirmed bear attacks, marking the most on record, according to CPW.
To help mitigate these conflicts, CPW advises Coloradans to take precautions. Residents are encouraged not to leave trash outside, to keep bird feeders high off the ground and away from trees, and to store pet food indoors. Following these guidelines can help reduce the temptation for bears to enter residential areas.
