Sinnott off base on bears and Government Hill

In the Nov. 20 We Alaskans cover story, "Unbearable," Rick Sinnott excoriates Government Hill residents for not using bear-resistant trash containers offered by Solid Waste Services. He also mischaracterizes Government Hill as being "apathetic." The fact is, our approach to the garbage bear problem has been successful and can serve as a model for other neighborhoods.

Two summers ago was a wake up call for our neighborhood. For the first time in memory, a sow and four cubs took up residence and fed on unsecured garbage. At the time, SWS provided no bear-resistant containers, nor did the city for Government Hill's six municipal parks. Much has changed since then, in large part because of Government Hill's proactive approach to the problem.

After the tragic experience with the sow and cubs, Government Hill Community Council formed the Government Hill Bear-aware Trash Committee. We called a meeting with Solid Waste Services and Fish and Game. We studied bear-trash solutions that worked in other parts of Alaska and in Canada. In the spring of 2015, with experts at the table, we developed a comprehensive three-pronged approach to reduce future bear-trash interactions: storage, education and enforcement.

[Black bears removed from Government Hill show up in Hope]

First, we secured a commitment from SWS to order bear-resistant containers and make them available within the year. In the meantime, SWS positioned a bear-resistant community dumpster in our neighborhood, and residents fitted it with a combination lock to prevent misuse. Also, Parks and Rec installed bear-proof containers in all the parks, partially at our urging.

The education program we developed in collaboration with SWS and Fish and Game was equally important. Twice, neighborhood volunteers distributed flyers to every household, detailing how to secure food waste. Additionally, we posted reminders and bear sightings on Facebook and Nextdoor, a neighborhood social media site with 345 resident members.

Finally, we requested SWS increase enforcement in our neighborhood, which it did. Last summer, SWS issued a $500 fine to a resident who ignored requests to secure his garbage.

So, how do we know Government Hill's bear-aware trash measures are working? The most convincing evidence is that several bears moved through our neighborhood this past summer, but none lingered. Furthermore, I received a flurry of requests for the community dumpster's lock combination during dipnetting season and again during moose and caribou season, an indication residents disposed of tasty trash in a responsible manner. Posts on Nextdoor and Facebook continued throughout the summer, warning of bears and reminding residents to keep trash secured until the morning of pickup. And finally, SWS performed inspections and provided weekly reports on potentially troublesome properties. Most weeks, they reported no problems. Clearly, our storage, education and enforcement efforts prompted many to secure garbage using a variety of methods.

[Costs of relocating Government Hill black bears approach $10,000]

From our efforts, we learned every household situation is different. For example, some residents are elderly/disabled and cannot move the heavier bear-resistant containers. Some face financial challenges and may be unable to pay extra in the future for a bear-resistant container. Some families have garages, while other do not. As a result of these variables, 32 families elected to use bear-resistant containers. Other families froze their food waste until garbage day, some stored garbage in sheds and garages, and still others used the community dumpster. A trash storage solution that relies solely on bear-resistant containers and works in Stuckagain Heights cannot work here. A one-size-fits-all approach imposed by Sinnott will fail.

As a former wildlife biologist and writer, Sinnott should abandon preconceived notions and allow evidence to tell the story. This includes the photos accompanying Sinnott's article. All of the bear photos were taken before we fully enacted our bear-aware program. Dramatic but outdated photos only serve to reinforce misperceptions. This kind of selective reporting is as irresponsible as unsecured garbage.

Anchorage is fortunate to have new, more effective leaders at Fish and Game, SWS and the municipality. They demonstrate an ongoing willingness to share their expertise. They work collaboratively with individual neighborhoods to identify the best solutions to unique garbage storage challenges. Government Hill reached out to these entities and implemented an innovative program to reduce garbage-bear interactions. All the evidence indicates it's working.

Being Anchorage's oldest neighborhood, Government Hill has been called a lot of things, but never apathetic.

Thomas Pease is a Government Hill resident who chairs the neighborhood's Bear-aware Trash Committee.