The Columbia Falls City Council on Sept. 21 passed an emergency bear ordinance that requires people to secure garbage and other attractants from bears roaming into town.

The vote was unanimously in favor.

Like 2022, when the city first passed such an ordinance, it’s been a bad berry year and bruins have been frequenting the city limits in the past few weeks as they look to fatten up before winter hibernation.

The bulk of reports have come from the city’s east side, where the neighborhoods are closer to the mountains. But bears can easily show up anywhere, as they follow the Flathead River downstream.

The emergency ordinance would require that garbage not be placed out on the curb before 4 a.m., the day of pickup. 

It also requires that “all garbage, recycling containing food residue, food waste, and other attractants stored outdoors shall be maintained in a bear-resistant container, within a secured structure, or within a secured enclosure,” such as a garage or a secured and locked shed.

It also prohibits leaving out pet feed from a secured enclosure, has provisions for securing garbage from commercial establishments and makes it illegal to purposely feed bears. 

“Garbage, recycling containing food residue, food waste, or other attractants shall not be accumulated or left exposed in pickup beds, utility trailers, open yards, open porches, unsecured containers, or vehicles not designed for refuse transport,” the law reads.

The emergency law is more of an educational vehicle as opposed to an enforcement one.

“For the first 14 calendar days following adoption of this ordinance, the city shall prioritize public education, voluntary compliance, and written warnings whenever practical. Enforcement personnel should provide educational information and a written warning for a first observed violation during this period whenever practical,” the law notes.

Though people who ignore the warnings could be cited, the law states.

The city is also currently investigating long-term measures, likely through zoning, that could make some sections of the law permanent, depending on where the person lived in the city.