Learn about living with bears; creating bear smart communities; recreating in bear country; bear safety at work; and managing bears (for wildlife officials).

Bearsmart Blog

A Bear’s Bill of Rights

A bear has the right to expect that you will:

  • be an educated resident of bear country and be willing to accommodate the needs of bears into your lifestyle and daily habits
  • have realistic expectations about living in bear country; to realize that is unacceptable to attract bears to your property with improperly stored garbage, recycling, bird feeders, smelly compost, and barbecue grease among other enticing non-natural attractants
  • set aside the necessary time to properly dispose of your garbage; clean your barbecue; and pick ripe fruit from your trees
  • take responsibility for your actions in a bear’s habitat while hiking and camping
  • be aware that you share roads and pathways with bears as well as other wildlife and give wildlife the right-of-way
  • provide a healthy, unpolluted environment for bears to live in; and to leave places where bears can forage, raise their families and find dens