Living With Wildlife Guide

Abundant wildlife adds to our quality of life in DW2. Predators such as bears, coyotes, and mountain lions are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems in our area.  However, as La Plata County’s wildland/urban interface increases, so does the potential for wildlife conflicts.  Living with Wildlife Advisory Board (LWAB) addresses this challenge with a “WildSmart” approach that involves working pro-actively with residents. The concept of “WildSmart” can be realized in La Plata County by residents applying our ‘Avoiding Conflicts with Wildlife’ strategy at their homes and while recreating outdoors. 

LWAB Resources and Links

Bear Smart Guide

Bears are our neighbors in DW2 and are around at various times of year. They are particularly active in late summer to fall when they are bulking up for hibernation and in the spring when they come out of hibernation. They sometimes even frequent the area when there is not enough food during the summer months in their normal habitat areas. This means being BearSmart and BearAware. 

Residents must leave their trash containers inside until the morning of trash pick-up day. La Plata County has an ordinance that fines residents at least $200 for not securing trash containers from wildlife. You can report trash can raids by bears to County Dispatch at 385-2900.    

Bear Smart Durango urges residents to use excess fruit instead of leaving it on or under trees. An additional benefit of using all available fruit is a reduced likelihood of tree damage by bears. To access the Fruit Gleaning Hub, which helps residents find businesses and individuals seeking excess fruit, visit http://fruitglean.org.

Living with Wildlife Advisory Board recommends not feeding songbirds from April to November as there is other food for them and feeders attract bears. If you do feed hummingbirds, they suggest taking the feeders in at night.

Please visit bearsmartdurango.org for more information.