ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville City Council members want to take another look at how the city handles conflicts between residents and black bears, including whether more people should have access to bear-resistant trash carts and whether there should be more accountability when people leave food or garbage accessible to bears.
The discussion came Monday night after several residents urged the council to do more to keep bears from becoming accustomed to human food and garbage.
Council members said they want more information from city staff and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission about possible changes, including the availability of bear-resistant trash carts and how the city’s existing rules are enforced.
Mayor Esther Manheimer also said she has added the issue to her notes for the city’s 2027-28 budget planning.
“We need to touch in with wildlife,” Manheimer said.
Residents want tougher measures
Several residents told the council that education alone isn’t enough.
Janice Reed asked the city to consider requiring bear-resistant garbage containers in areas with significant bear activity. She also called for bear-resistant public trash cans, better signs and stronger enforcement against people who leave food or garbage where bears can get to it.
Lauren Holt, a West Asheville resident, told council members she saw three different bears eating from trash cans within the city over a three-day period.
Holt said Asheville should require bear-resistant trash cans and dumpsters rather than relying on residents to request them.
“Protecting bears and protecting the public from bears that are too comfortable with people is a public policy and safety issue,” Holt said.
Asheville already has a bear-resistant trash cart program. The city began the program in 2021 and has a limited number of carts available each year on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents can get up to two carts, which are 95 gallons and cost an additional $10 per month per cart. The city maintains a waiting list.
Council members said they have heard from residents who have been waiting months for a cart and asked for more information about the backlog, including how many people are waiting and why.
Asheville already has bear rules
The city already tells residents to secure garbage, pet food, bird feeders and other potential food sources.
Residents are also advised not to put trash carts out the night before collection. The city says garbage, bird seed, pet food, compost and grills can attract bears.
The city also tells residents not to feed or approach bears and says removing food sources can help prevent conflicts.
The question for Asheville now is whether those measures are enough.
Manheimer recalled an earlier discussion about communities that put more responsibility on property owners when bears get into their trash. She cited Boulder, Colorado, as an example of a community that has used fines tied to bear-resistant trash practices.
She said Asheville has taken a different approach so far.
Dolly brings urgency to the discussion
The council discussion also followed public comments about a North Asheville bear that residents have identified as Dolly and have urged officials to spare.
Hannah Virgil, who said she lives near the bear, told council members she was preparing a resolution for a future meeting and wanted the city to work with Gov. Josh Stein and state wildlife officials.
Virgil said she and other residents have collected more than 3,000 signatures on two petitions concerning the bear.
The council did not vote Monday on a new bear ordinance or on the individual bear.
Instead, members discussed getting more information from wildlife officials and city staff and looking at possible changes to the city’s approach.
Council members also discussed using utility-bill inserts to remind residents about rules against feeding bears and ways to reduce food sources that attract them.
Manheimer said she also wants the city to look at how it can work with wildlife officials to address bear conflicts.
“We’ve got a problem with this situation,” she said.
Asheville’s current guidance says most bear problems are temporary and that people can reduce conflicts by securing food and garbage and giving bears space.
The city’s bear-resistant cart program remains limited, however, and residents can sign up for the waiting list for future carts.
The council wants more information before deciding what, if anything, should change.
That could include the number of residents waiting for bear-resistant carts, how quickly the city can obtain more and whether Asheville should consider stronger requirements for keeping garbage and other food sources away from bears.