Bear sightings prompt food storage order

Due to frequent bear sightings, a food storage order became effective on Aug. 22, on many campgrounds on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest's Bridgeport Ranger District, located in the Eastern Sierra.

"In order to prevent dangerous bear confrontations, visitors will need to store food in a bear-resistant food locker provided at the campsites," Bridgeport District Ranger Cheryl Probert said. "We have seen bears rummaging for food left out by campers on a daily basis this past week and want to reduce any unnecessary risks for our Forest visitors."

In campgrounds without food lockers, food must be stored inside vehicles, in the trunk, or out of sight with the windows rolled up. As a last resort, food may be counter balanced at least 15 feet above the ground and 10 feet horizontally from a tree trunk. As an additional precaution, it's also advised that visitors at any Bridgeport Ranger District campground store their food so that it's inaccessible to wildlife.

Campgrounds that will be under the food storage order include: Trumbull, Virginia Creek Dispersed Campground, Buckeye, Green Creek, Lower Twin Lakes, Honeymoon Flat, Robinson Creek, Paha, and Crags.

"Bears that obtain human food become habituated, lose their fear of humans, and occasionally must be destroyed to protect public safety," said Probert. "The food storage order, paired with an educational campaign in the campgrounds and the local communities, is designed to keep campers safe and bears from becoming habituated."

"Bears need to eat up to 20,000 calories a day in the fall, gaining 2-to-3 pounds a day to prepare for the onset of winter," said Sherri Lisius, District Wildlife Biologist. "A cooler full of food is a much easier way to get this than foraging all day for grubs, berries, and nuts. A bear getting this cooler full of food can mean forever losing what visitors love so much about bears-their wildness."

For further information on this release, contact Sherri Lisius or Cheryl Probert at (760) 932-7070.