If you live anywhere in the Tri-Cities, you should lock up your green waste bin and keep it clean.
That's the advice of local experts and conservation officers who are hoping for a safe and conflict-free year with no bears destroyed and less aggressive coyote and raccoon populations.
This is possible if everyone - whether your home up against a green belt or backing on to a busy street - follows experts' advice to eliminate all animal attractants, including pet food, dirty barbecues and food waste.
Think you don't have any animals living near your house? Think again.
Even if bears aren't coming to your driveway or backyard, they could be walking along neighbouring greenbelts and their sensitive noses may be attracted to your dirty green waste bin. That's because deep inside that swill you can't bear to touch are morsels of carbohydrate and protein goodness that are like junk food treats to bruins.
And it's not just bears that are active in our region; the raccoon population is likely growing as well, drawn to the garbage that's easily obtained through unlocked green waste bins, as are rats, which can be a problem, too.
Deer are attracted to lawns and gardens in the Belcarra area, drawing in the occasional cougar, one of which had to be destroyed in Port Moody last year; and coyotes are coming into town, too, looking for rodents, which are attracted to - again - garbage.
As we build further up mountainsides, eliminating wild animal habitat and food sources, it's even more important that we lock up our waste bins, preferably inside a shed or garage.
And keeping a green waste bin clean is as simple as wrapping leftover food or placing it into a compostable paper bag and then into the cart.
There's no point in finger-pointing or placing blame on the problem of wild animal conflicts. Sure, more people will be moving up the mountains as developments are built while those in older neighbourhoods that were once forests are just as at risk of luring wild animals if they don't take care.
It's important we all make an effort not just this spring and summer but all year and every year.
