At Tuesday’s Council meeting, from left, Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation Board Secretary James Robinson (former councilor), Councilor Melanee Hand and Pajarito Environmental Education Center Executive Director Jillian Rubio hold a proclamation declaring August ‘Bear Month’. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

COUNTY News:

Los Alamos County Council during its Tuesday night regular meeting proclaimed August “Bear Month”.

Councilor Melanee Hand read the proclamation, which states:

WHEREAS: Los Alamos is blessed with an abundance of wildlife, and healthy wildlife populations have a positive impact on the Los Alamos community – our community is notably home to the American Black Bear; and

WHEREAS: Five key bear-safety practices should be added to our daily routines and recreational activities. When out in the wilderness, make noise so that a bear is not surprised by human presence, stay alert and actively look for signs of bears; never approach or crowd bears: keep food, garbage, and other attractants out of reach of bears; stay calm during a bear encounter, and do not run; and

WHEREAS: Humans can also reduce the likelihood of bear encounters around the home by removing bird feeders, securing garbage in bear-resistant containers, not feeding bears, planting gardens away from game trails, and frequently turning compost; and

WHEREAS: The Los Alamos County Council approved, and the Los Alamos County Environmental Services invested $2.4 million in “Operation Save the Bears,” an initiative to deploy bear-resistant dumpsters and roll carts from June 2022 to June 2023 to all Los Alamos County businesses and residential households so they may safely secure trash to deter inquisitive and hungry bears from “dumpster diving,” which puts them at risk for being captured and re-located; and

WHEREAS: The Pajarito Environmental Education Center and Century Bank will host New Mexico’s only Bear Festival on August 27th at the Los Alamos Nature Center located at 2600 Canyon Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. where local, regional and state organizations will educate New Mexicans on keeping human and bear populations safe through games and fun activities.

NOW, THEREFORE, on behalf of the Council of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos, I do hereby designate August 2022 as: “BEAR MONTH” and urge our citizens to participate in this event and other bear events hosted by the Pajarito Environmental Education Center by visiting https://peecnature.org/ to learn about bear safety and responsibility for peaceful coexistence with these remarkable animals so that they can continue to thrive across our county and state for generations to come.