New food storage rules aim to curb bear encounters in Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest

WENATCHEE — The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest implemented new food storage regulations on September 16 to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, particularly with bears. The rules require visitors to store food and other attractants in a "bear-resistant manner" and properly dispose of garbage and food remnants.

The decision comes in response to an increase in bear sightings and bear-human interactions at established recreation sites in recent years. Forest officials hope these measures will prevent wildlife from becoming habituated to human food sources.

Deputy Forest Supervisor David Farmer explained the rationale behind the new regulations. "Bears and other wildlife that begin to associate people with easy food sources can become habituated to areas such as campgrounds where food or other smellable items like toothpaste, or food wrappers, are accessible," Farmer said. "These food-conditioned animals often cannot be scared away or successfully relocated to other areas. They continue to return to areas occupied by humans in search of food, at best becoming a nuisance, and at worst becoming a threat to human safety, and resulting in the animal being euthanized."

The Forest Service plans to focus on educating visitors about the new rules in the coming months. Farmer added, "We are also continuing our own efforts to install food lockers and wildlife resistant dumpsters at developed recreation sites." He noted that while these rules are new to the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, they are commonplace in many western regions and align with best practices for responsible recreation.

For complete details on the new regulations, visitors can check the Forest Service website at www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd1204206.