Education and Outreach Program
Many new residents who move from city environments to more rural areas are unaware of the potential for human/wildlife conflicts and the stewardship responsibilities that are associated with living in wild country. Education is critical if people in these areas are to successfully co-exist with the resident wildlife.
Working directly within communities, we identify problems that people may be experiencing with wildlife and, together with state wildlife managers, work with them on practical solutions to those conflicts and prevention of future conflicts.
As part of our conflict prevention program, we have conducted or participated in community meetings about bears and bear-proofing in Seeley Lake, Ovando, Condon and Hungry Horse. More community meetings are being planned.
We have visited individual homes, ranches, campgrounds, restaurants and motels to enlist owners' and managers' support and help with secure storage of food, refuse, and other attractants. We plan many more such visits, and will include residents in new subdivisions, real estate offices and other businesses.
The Foundation participates in the ongoing efforts of communities, conservation groups and state agencies to eliminate bear attractants. We are currently working with two committees of the Blackfoot Challenge, the Seeley Lake community and their efforts to begin a Bear Smart program, and the Condon community.
LWWF also works with state wildlife agencies to address specific problems with wildlife as they occur. We provide hands-on assistance with everything from construction of predator deterrent fencing, identification and removal of wildlife attractants, and livestock carcass removal, to picking apples that are attracting bears.
This picture shows one of about 21 piles of grizzly scat we found in ONE yard in
Ferndale, Montana. You can see that the scat consists entirely of
processed apples. I should also mention that the female grizzly and her
yearling daughter pretty much demolished
the apple trees in the yard!
The potential for human/wildlife conflict exists anywhere humans are living in areas occupied by predators and other wildlife. The picture below shows a cabin window that was ripped open by a black bear so that it could access a garbage can inside the cabin porch.
We welcome the opportunity to share our educational materials, ideas and experiences with groups and individuals interested in minimizing such conflicts.