JACKSON, Wyo. — In a unanimous 5-0 vote last week, Jackson’s Town Council approved a new wildlife feeding code that will require bear-resistant trash cans in several parts of the town come spring.
Among an array of new rules, the code will require residental and commercial bear-resistant trash containers or enclosures on the outer edges of town. The requirement won’t go into effect until April 1.
The “Town Bear Conflict Zone” established through Wyoming Game and Fish Department data is reflected in the image below. The zone is where data indicates the majority of human-bear conflicts have occurred in the last ten years.
In April, the Teton County Board of County Commissioners also unanimously approved regulations that would require bear-proof trash cans countywide. The town and county are still sorting out how residents and trash hauling companies will comply with the new regulations given that thousands of residents will need bear-proof trash cans.
A program called Jackson Hole Bear Solutions from Wyoming Wildlife Advocates is aimed at helping residents and trash hauling companies comply with the new regulations.
In May, the program estimated that 3,400 cans would need to be distributed to put the county into compliance with the new regulations. Now with the town also onboard, even more cans will be needed.
