New Revelstoke animal attractants bylaw: clean it up, or we will and send you the bill

A proposed Garbage Collection and Wildlife Attractant bylaw could see homeowners on the hook if they don’t clean up animal attractants in their yards. Those who don’t will be asked to foot the bill if the city has to hire staff or contractors to remove any attractants.

File photo: Residents protest the number of black bears destroyed recently in Revelstoke. Photo: Emily Kemp/Revelstoke Mountaineer

Note: This story is under development, and will be updated with comment and reaction as it comes in.

Revelstoke could be one step smarter to becoming a Bear Smart Community if council passes a proposed garbage collection and wildlife attractant bylaw.

@Revelstoke_BC given we’re in bear country looks like your beautiful town needs to invest in bear proof garbage bins. pic.twitter.com/sik82ZqzGj

— Ian Todd (@ihctodd) October 7, 2016

Revelstoke was among a number of B.C. communities to experience a significant increase in bear reports in 2016. Controversy erupted after the Conservation Officer Service destroyed a total of 24 black bears.

Revelstoke City Council asked city staff to prepare a report looking at wildlife attractants in the community. As a result city staff are recommending the current garbage collection and disposal bylaw be repealed and a new garbage collection and wildlife attractant bylaw be imposed.

Highlights of the proposed bylaw include:

-Added attractant and composting definitions

-Updated wildlife definition to include deer, moose, skunk, and raccoon

-Added ‘other wildlife’ attractant section

-Added ‘failure to comply’ section

A mature black bear roaming Revelstoke’s downtown on Tuesday August 16 was shot and killed. Photo: Zack Vansickle

Teresa LeRose, manager of legislative services, said in her report to council that home owners will be responsible for cleaning up any wild life attractants under the Failure to Comply section of the proposed bylaw.

“Failure to comply may result in the city by its own employees or authorized agents/contractors cleaning up and removing such attractant and the cost of such shall be charged to the owner,” states the report. “This will ensure that the attractants are cleaned up in a timely manner should the owner remain non-compliant or is away from the premises.”

A bear (see the black spot near the top of the tree) feasts on plums at a First Street West home after scaring a resident, who was harvesting plums at the time, away from the tree. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer

The report further states that city staff will advertise the new wildlife attractant regulations on social media starting the week of May 15.

Enforcement of the wildlife attractant bylaw would be on a complaint basis, unless council decides otherwise. Council is set to deliberate on the bylaw at their May 9 meeting.

Want to learn more?

Read the report on the bylaw here.

Read the text of the new bylaw here.