Listen in to this week's edition of "This is Our Town" on KJAX (93.5 FM). Tanya Anderson, the Town of Jackson's Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator stopped by and spoke with Del Ray.
Tanya is an amazing individual and brings a wealth of experience to this new position in the Town.
She talks about the recently approved Wildlife Feeding Regulations and new Bear-Resistant Trash Ordinance. Both of these go into effect on April 1, 2022.
Here are a few main points:
Feeding of wildlife is prohibited. Bird feeders must be kept inaccessible to wildlife other than birds. The Mountain Neighbor Handbook (mountainneighbor.org) has great examples.
• Wildlife attractants must be secured in a bear-resistant building or enclosure. This includes compost, pet food, beehives, livestock feed, coolers, grease, grills, and more.
• BearWise Jackson Hole provides assistance with property improvements to reduce or secure attractants.
• No planting of new ornamental fruit-bearing trees (fruiting trees planted for beauty rather than food) such as crabapple trees. Existing fruit-bearing trees must be harvested, pruned, or fenced to prevent wildlife such as bears from accessing them.
•Teton Conservation District provides support for conservation planting for those who might want to replace a tree rather than manage it. Farmstead Cider will trade you some of their cider for your cider-producing apples.
• Bear-resistant trash containers or enclosures will be required within the Bear Conflict Zone. The Bear Conflict Zone map can be viewed on the Town/County GIS map server. There is a cost associated with the containers as well as an increased cost to service them.
• Contact your waste hauler or Jackson Hole Bear Solutions to inquire about getting a bear-resistant container. JH Bear Solutions offers containers in two sizes at a reduced price based upon what people can pay.
• Most waste haulers offer different pricing options for different-sized bins (bear-resistant containers come in 65 and 95 gallon sizes) or for less frequent pickup. Altering purchasing habits, recycling, or dropping off your compost at the Recycling Center (up to a 5-gallon bucket) or Trash Transfer Station can all reduce your waste and, as a result, how much you pay for disposal.