Santa Rosa County, responding to numerous complaints about nuisance bears in Navarre neighborhoods, passed a Bear-Wise Safety Ordinance to help prevent future human/bear conflict. The ordinance went into effect on Friday, October 14.
The ordinance essentially states that all Santa Rosa County residents in unincorporated areas south and west of Eglin Air Force Base must keep their garbage secure from bears and other wildlife, either through the use of a bear-resistant can, or by storing the garbage in an enclosed area until the day of trash collection. Do not put out your garbage the night before and you wait until 6am on the day of pickup to place garbage on the curb. If you need to place your garbage before 6am you should contact the county and explain why so that you do not get a citation. The full ordinance is available online at www.santarosa.fl.gov.
A benefit of the creation of the ordinance is that it allows the county to apply for state funding for bear-resistant trash cans. The cans will then be made available to residents at a reduced cost. The county’s bear-resistant cans are expected to be available some time in January. Residents who continue to use non-bear resistant containers must abide by the ordinance. The new ordinance will be enforced as a category one violation under Ordinance 2015-14, which is a $120 fine.
For more information on the Bear Wise program and living safely with black bears, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, www.myfwc.com.
