Columbia Falls Council Approves Temporary Emergency Bear Ordinance
Enforcement under the 90-day measure will focus on garbage and food attractants, with education the city's first priority.
By Lauren Frick
Columbia Falls city councilors this week unanimously approved an emergency, temporary bear ordinance to address a rise in bear conflicts in the city and the Flathead Valley that has continued throughout the summer and into the start of fall.
The ordinance took effect immediately after Monday night’s vote and will last up to 90 days. The city will focus first on bear-aware education, and enforcement will home in on garbage and food attractants.
Key areas of enforcement and requirements under the temporary ordinance include: garbage containers may not be placed at the curb before 4 a.m. on collection day; outdoor garbage and food attractants must be secured in a garage, shed, or bear resistant container, or other secured area; pet food and animal feed should not be left outdoors overnight; and commercial dumpsters must remain closed and secured.
The first 14 days will be a “warning period,” during which the city will focus on education, outreach and written warnings whenever practical, the city said. Enforcement will generally be reserved for repeat violations, documented bear conflicts, or immediate safety concerns.
“What’s important to understand is that the intent of the ordinance isn’t to penalize, but it’s to gain public compliance and education and not aggressive enforcement,” City Manager Eric Hanks said at the council’s Sept. 21 meeting. “But with this ordinance we will have the option for enforcement for egregious problems or just people that refuse to take guidance or education from [Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks] or the city as well. So this gives us an option we didn’t have before.”
The ordinance also lists “recommended” bear-aware practices: remove ripe and fallen fruit; remove bird feeders; secure coolers, grills, and other scented items; and consider bear-resistant containers and electric fencing where appropriate.
For residents in search of an additional option for household disposal, Flathead County provides a free public solid waste container site in Columbia Falls at 1073 Best Way, the city noted.
The emergency ordinance is a result of increased bear activity in what Jamie Jonkel, FWP’s long-time bear conflict specialist in Missoula, has deemed as “one of the worst natural food failure years on record.”
The Flathead Valley has seen five grizzly mortalities this year, including the euthanization of a food-conditioned bear near Whitefish in July. That’s compared to two last year, neither of which were conflict removals. The statewide total of grizzly conflict incidents has reached 251 reports, 103 of which involved “unnatural foods” and 71 were classified as “human interaction,” according to FWP. The uptick in activity this season, in part, has been attributed to a poor wild berry harvest due to an early frost.
The ordinance also comes just weeks after “a surprise, defensive encounter” between a female grizzly bear with at least one cub and a woman walking her dog on the Cedar Flats trail complex, leaving the woman with severe injuries.
As Hanks presented the emergency ordinance at Monday night’s meeting, he suggested that some of the regulations within the ordinance could potentially become less temporary.
“The FWP has consistently identified or requested stronger guidance in our ordinances within our city for unsecured garbage and other food attractants,” Hanks said.
While the planning commission has begun early discussions about what a stronger bear ordinance could look like — such as sectioning the city into different zones with corresponding requirements — much of the commission’s immediate attention will likely focus on the in-depth zoning and subdivision regulations updates as part of the 2023 Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA).
“We’re working with the planning commission on the zoning and subdivision code rewrites or updates to maybe expand some bear ordinance,” Hanks said. “But the planning commission is more focused on new developments and what we want in our new zoning subdivision.
“We do think we should in 2027 shoot for Bear Smart community goals in accordance with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and FWP and other advocacy groups, and this future ordinance will help provide that.”