The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger today that will ask the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for increased state resources to educate and safeguard Sierra Madre and surrounding foothill communities from black bear and other wildlife encounters.
According to the motion, human encounters with wildlife have increased. The City of Sierra Madre reported a surge of black bears in their community and surrounding areas.
“Bears and wildlife were here well before us. My motion aims to educate the public so we can peacefully coexist,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “There are simple things we can do to prevent these types of scary encounters, including securing garbage, using appropriate trash receptacles, and not leaving garage doors open. This motion is a proactive step to draw down more state resources so we have access to specialists who understand how to deal with these types of bear encounters. I realize the state budget is tight, but this is an investment in what I believe will have worthwhile public safety dividends.”
As a result of Supervisor Barger’s motion, the Board of Supervisors will send a five-signature letter to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife director to advocate for augmenting and enhancing staffing of human-wildlife conflict specialists who can respond to calls for service in a timely manner when encounters occur. The letter will also call for the state to provide ongoing proactive engagement with communities to offer education and awareness that is tailored to the unique needs of those living in Sierra Madre and other Los Angeles County communities impacted by wildlife encounters.