Every few days in the Tahoe area, there is a report of a bear-trash emergency.
“Oh, there was just one 5 minutes ago," explained Ann Bryant with the Bear League recently.
"I had to send a team out because the bear had gotten in the garage because the garage wasn’t bear proof.”
Bryant says people leave trash out the night before pick up and in unsecured containers. Restaurants, hotels, residents and tourists are all doing it.
This year Truckee has a new three strikes rule to reduce bear emergencies. The first violation brings a warning, second a 235 dollar fine and a third offense brings a thousand dollar fine and installation of bear-proof trash bins at the owner’s expense.
“It is a start," says Bryant. "It is better than we had before, but I have some concerns.”
She's concerned about lax enforcement. So far, Truckee Code Compliance has sent out five warning letters and staff says they appear to be working.
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