By Sherri Blevins
DeKalb County is growing in more ways than one. Not only is the human population increasing, but the bear population is also on the rise.
Just like cities need to adjust to accommodate more people, Auburn researcher Hannah Leeper and National Park Service Resource Management Specialist Mary Shew recommend adjusting how we handle trash and food items to prevent a bear problem from developing.
At the July 19, 2022, Fort Payne City Council meeting, Leeper and Shew reported on the increasing bear population in Northeast Alabama. For the past four years, Leeper has conducted bear research in Northeast Alabama, covering DeKalb and Cherokee counties. She explained that in 2015, 34 bears were located and tagged in Northeast Alabama. She stated that number included all the bears in the area at that time. Since then, Leeper has personally encountered 73 bears in the last year. Her research deals with monitoring the bear population’s growth and determining its territory’s extent. Leeper said the population is growing spatially and numerically. She wants to predict how much of an increase there will be and how far the territory will reach in the next five years. Her purpose, along with Shew’s, for visiting the Council, was to ask the public to start being proactive instead of reactive when dealing with the bear issue. Several recent bear sightings closer to downtown Fort Payne than previously reported have occurred, and Leeper stated, “Bears are here to stay. Viral videos have captured bears entering neighborhoods, getting into people’s trash cans, and making themselves comfortable around here. These bear issues are becoming more common and much more frequent.”
Shew reported that one restaurant on the north end of Fort Payne had its dumpster raided by a bear. Both experts urged the public to keep trash cans inside buildings and lock dumpsters to prevent the bears from finding food. If they find food, they are likely to return for seconds. They also recommended bringing bird feeders and pet food inside to prevent bear temptations. Leeper said bears are generally shy and afraid of people, but problems can arise once they are rewarded with food and get comfortable around humans.
The Council had questions for Leeper. One Councilmember asked about the size of the bears in Northeast Alabama. Leeper responded that the average male weighed between 250 and 300 pounds, and the average female was roughly the size of a large black lab weighing between 120 and 150 pounds. She said she had dealt with one older dominant male bear in the area that weighed 500 pounds, but it was not your average bear. Another Councilmember asked what you should do if you come in close contact with a bear. “Run” is NOT the answer Leeper suggested. Instead, she said, try waving your arms and yelling at the bear and be sure to leave it an escape route. Bears are generally afraid of people and will run away if they have not lost their fear of humans. For more suggestions on how to live safely and harmoniously with bears, Leeper and Shew advised visiting bearwise.org or bear.org. They repeatedly stated it is better to be proactive than reactive and risk the possibility of resorting to euthanasia to solve a dangerous bear problem. They said relocating problem bears is not an option because they usually return to the same area or other bears fill in their spot.
Before the visitors addressed the Council, Mayor Baine presented a plaque to Darrell Lester for 26 years of service to the City. Lester recently retired but will remain on the Patriots Park Board.
The Mayor updated the Council on a few items. He said the paving project is moving according to schedule, but the renovations at the sports complex have been delayed due to circumstances beyond the City’s control. Hopefully, work will be back on track in a couple of weeks. Baine said the Sanitation Department’s sign notification system for brush pickup seems to be working and has opened the door of communication between the customers and the department. He also announced that the dedication ceremony for Patriot’s Park will be rescheduled to Memorial Day 2023 instead of Veteran’s Day 2022 due to a delay in the arrival of statues for the park.
The Council approved the following requests:
• Alcohol applications for Tienda Los Primos for off-premise beer and The Stockade for restaurant retail liquor sales
• Activity permits for CED Mental Health Movie in the Park on August 5, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm; CED Mental Health Recover Walk on October 15, at the Rotary Pavillion from 4:00 until 8:00 pm; Marine Corp League Annual Semi-Birthday Ball on November 10, from 1:00 until 5:00 pm; Calabama Lebanon Rival Center, LeeAnn Pendergrass, Outreach Service at the Rotary Pavilion on Saturday, October 22 from 11:00 until 3:00 pm; VFW Fundraiser Run for Patriot’s Memorial Park on Saturday, November 5 from 8:00 until 10:00 am
Council President Watson explained that the Council ratified the Planning Commission’s decision to decline a re-zoning request from Marlin Blalock (Property Owner) and Dollar General (Leaseholder). He said no official action was required because no zoning changes were required. Watson also set a date for a work session to discuss the FY 2023 Budget.