Group aims to keep bears wild, people safe

TALKEETNA -- It's happening all over, and Alaska is no exception. Alaska's human population is rapidly expanding, and as more people move into natural areas, wildlife is displaced. Although Alaskans live comfortably with many wildlife species, bear-human conflict is of preeminent concern.

The Bear Necessities Coalition, a Talkeetna-based grassroots group aimed at keeping bears wild and people safe, has provided a model for resolving bear-human conflict.

Talkeetna is located near the junction of the Talkeetna, Tokositna and Susitna rivers. These rich salmon streams form a natural corridor for wildlife travel and feeding. As a result, bear presence in the area is not unusual. Residents' concerns were brought to a head in 2001, when people woke each morning to find litter from bears' midnight garbage feasts strewn downtown. By the end of the summer of 2001, at least a half-dozen bears had met their demise.

BNC initiators, Brian and Diane Okonek, recognized that community involvement was necessary to have a meaningful and lasting impact on the problem, so they reached out for support from their neighbors and local businesses. As the coalition grew, they approached other groups for support, including the community council, chamber of commerce, National Park Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Mat-Su Borough, and the owner of the local refuse collection service.

Although bears have utilized the area for a long time, Herman Griese, of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said they will move on if they do not find food. He emphasized that all food sources must be eliminated, including obvious sources like garbage cans, outdoor freezers, barbecues, fish smokers and the like. And because fish waste on the shoreline attracts bears, Griese said fish should be cleaned and fish waste disposed of in a fast-moving current.

The next step the BNC took was to find means to bear-proof trash receptacles. Bill Stearns, owner of Talkeetna Refuse, spent nearly $5,000 to bear-proof his trash bins, adding steel lids and a locking steel rod across the top. BNC was awarded $9,000 through a Mat-Su Borough Bed Tax grant, and the Talkeetna Historical Society and Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce also appropriated funds to purchase bear-proof trash cans. A total of 21 trash cans were installed in downtown Talkeetna for the public to use.

BNC held a children's poster and bumper sticker contest, encouraging the use of slogans like "A fed bear is a dead bear," and "Bears need wild food, not garbage!" Various local organizations sponsored the contest and donated gifts for the winners.

The coalition also challenged engineers and metal workers to design residential bear-proof bins that were both effective and affordable. People from all over the state are benefiting from the bear-proof lid that fits on a 50-gallon barrel, designed and sold by Mark Richardson of A1 Industrial and Welding in Anchorage.

BNC is focusing on further bear awareness education for residents and especially for visitors who may be unfamiliar with bear-human interactions. A children's book about proper behavior in bear country and bear-proof storage for camp food are on the agenda for 2004.

To support the Bear Necessities Coalition, or for more information, contact The Bear Necessities Coalition, P.O. Box 964, Talkeetna, AK 99676, call 733-2447, or e-mail bearcoalition@gci.net.