Increased human-bear interactions prompt order

Visitors to the Superior National Forest, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Area, will need to store food properly to help protect wild bears and humans. This food storage order is the result of increases in human-bear interactions with negative outcomes.

Superior National Forest wildlife biologist Cheron Ferland said a new bear action plan implemented this year, easing how bear sightings can be reported, has likely led to more eyewitness sightings "but this by itself doesn't account for the increase. It's also because there are more visitors on the landscape and the fact that we are in an extreme drought, which has led to a poor berry crop."

An increase in bear sightings isn't exclusive to the northern woods and water. There has been an uptick in bear sightings in and around Carlton County as well, with bears looking for food in cities and country garbage cans.

The reports the forest service has recorded include bears at individual campsites, digging in dumpsters at campgrounds or other facilities, and stealing backpacks. Forest officials also point out that not all reports of interactions with bears are negative or a cause for alarm. Reports may also include general bear sightings to help biologists better understand bear travel patterns in the forest.

"This is bear-country, people are going to see black bears. They live here. That's not concerning to me," Ferland said. "But bears at dumpsters, lingering at campsites and stealing packs is. Once they get a reward, or food, they will keep doing whatever it takes to get that reward again."

If a bear becomes a nuisance and continues interacting with humans, the bear will be killed by management officials. "We don't want it to get to that point," Ferland said. "We want to limit the number of bears that are considered a nuisance. That's what this food storage order is all about - taking proactive steps."

The food storage order requires visitors to properly store food unless in the process of eating, preparing or transporting food, like bringing fish caught in a nearby lake to a campsite or carrying food down to the beach for a picnic. Proper storage reduces the chance of bears being rewarded when in campsites, trails, portages, landings or other recreational areas, Ferland said.

Proper food storage can be done in two ways and can be useful for homeowners as well:

Using a bear canister or bear-resistant container and placing it 50 feet away from your tent on the ground (preferred method) or hanging your food pack at least 12 feet above the ground at all points, 6 feet horizontally from any pole or limb and 4 feet vertically from any pole or limb.

These are general practices all forest visitors should consider whenever camping. The order serves as a strong reminder of the particular problem with bears this year.