Revelstoke Bear Aware Society

Bear Smart is a voluntary provincial initiative aimed at encouraging communities to reduce the amount of conflict between people and bears by taking personal responsibility for change.  For the City of Revelstoke to become a “Bear Smart” community it is necessary for individuals, the city, the regional district and the provincial government to work together to address bear attractants in the community.  The program focuses on five criteria that communities must complete in order to achieve Bear Smart status.  Each of the criteria is listed below with a description of work that has been completed.

Bear Smart Initiatives in Revelstoke

1. Prepare a bear hazard assessment of the community and surrounding area:

In 2009, the Revelstoke Bear Aware Society with in-kind support from Park’s Canada, completed a Bear Hazard Assessment and Bear Hazard Map for Revelstoke and surrounding area. They identified both non-natural and natural wildlife attractants, commonly used wildlife corridors and locations that may have an increased risk for bear encounters.

The Bear Hazard Map will be updated every few years, allowing for a visual image of changes in availability of different attractants to bears over time.

Download the Bear Hazard Assessment and Management Plan here (1.6 MB PDF file, May, 2009)
Download the 2005-2008 Bear Hazard Map here (1.7 MB JPG file, June 2009)

Download the 2009-2010 Bear Hazard Map here (4.6 MB JPG file, July 2011)

Download the 2005-2010 Garbage Bear Map here (4.5 MB JPG file, July 2011)

2. Prepare a human-bear conflict management plan that is designed to address the bear hazards and land-use conflicts identified in the Bear Hazard Assessment:

In 2009, a Human-Bear Conflict Management Plan was compiled for Revelstoke and the surrounding area.  The document lays out recommendations and actions that will mitigate each of the hazards that were identified in the Bear Hazard Assessment, including the group or groups required to carry out the action, a priority rating and, cost and timing required.

3. Revise planning and decision-making documents to be consistent with the human-bear conflict management plan:

The Official Community Plan for the City of Revelstoke and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, Mount Revelstoke National Park Management Plan and the Mount Mackenzie Resort Master Plan all include “Bear Smart” practices consistent with the Human-Bear Conflict Management Plan.  The Regional Solid Waste Management plan was completed and approved in May 2009 and also takes into account “Bear Smart” practices.

4. Develop and maintain a bear-proof municipal solid waste management system:

The Revelstoke Bear Aware Community Coordinator is currently representing Revelstoke Bear Aware, on the Regional Solid Waste Management Plan Monitoring Advisory Committee that was formed in 2009.

The Community Coordinator is also sitting on the City’s Waste Collection Strategy Committee, which has been meeting since November of 2007.  The mission statement of this committee is “To operate a solid waste management system with minimal impact for wildlife and the natural environment, providing a safe and healthy community.”  One of the committee’s strategic initiatives is “To become Bear Smart”.

Bear-Proof Garbage Bins- Pilot Project in Johnson Heights, 2009

The Revelstoke Bear Aware Society and Waste Collection Strategy Committee completed a pilot project in 2009, studying the use of bear-resistant residential garbage cans in Johnson Heights, one of the city’s mobile home parks.  The pilot project was designed to determine the effectiveness of bear resistant bins as a means of creating a bear-resistant waste management system.  Specific goals were:

1) To gain information about the use of a lifter on the city’s garbage truck throughout winter months.

2) To attain residents’ opinions about the use of bear-proof cans.

3) To determine the effectiveness at reducing the availability of garbage to bears.

The Revelstoke Bear Aware Society and City’s Waste Collection Strategy committee presented the results of the pilot project to city council on November 24, 2009.  They recommended that the bear resistant garbage containers (with the use of the lifter on the city’s garbage truck) be implemented throughout the city.  It was recommended that there be a phase-in over a number of years time, where residents with limited ability to secure garbage receive the cans first.

Currently, the purchase of bear resistant garbage cans for residential use, over a five-year period, is on the 2011-2015 Draft City Budget ($55,000/year).   Whether or not City Council adopts this budget item should become clear early next year.

In the Human-Bear Management Plan for Revelstoke, a number of recommendations were made with regards to changing open garbage cans to bear-resistant bins throughout the City.  Bins were put in place in 2009. In 2010, the City of Revelstoke purchased more bear-resistant bins and they were distributed at city recreation sites.

5. Implement “Bear Smart” bylaws prohibiting the provision of food to bears as a result of intent, neglect, or irresponsible management of attractants:

The City’s Waste Collection Strategy Committee has made amendments to the existing garbage bylaw to include secure storage of garbage outside of collection day.  The City already has a curbside restriction bylaw that was put in place in 1996.  The committee has also drafted a Wildlife Attractant bylaw that addressed other non-natural attractants identified in the bear hazard assessment.  Both bylaws are currently in the City administration office and are expected to go to City Council later this year.