Bears are active in Haines.

Kroes: “A bear was in the campground, and it scared some people away from their picnic table, and got their breakfast or food.”

This is park superintendent Preston Kroes, talking about an incident at the Chilkoot campground. A couple weeks previous, a bear had destroyed a couple of empty tents at a campsite near a secured dumpster. Kroes says this level of activity is normal at this time of year. 

But there are other reports, from outside the park. Of bears walking on the docks in the  harbor. One private campground operator in town has shut down his tent camping site for safety reasons.

Carl Koch, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He says he got concerning reports from agency staff about someone camping just outside Chilkoot park.

Koch: “The person was camping there for several days, there were two subadult bears hanging around the area. And at one point they became even more concerned because they saw a pan of lasagna sitting out on the ground about 30, 40 feet from the tent and the bears were feeding out of it.”

These are just a few of the reports. Mayor Tom Morphet thought the situation alarming enough that he put the issue on the agenda of an assembly special meeting. 

Morphet: “There is obvious threat to Haines visitors, residents and wildlife posed by dangerous bear encounters. Haines borough taxpayers pay half a million dollars annually in the tourism promotion sales tax.”

 Bears that make a habit of getting food from humans often end up getting killed. Morphet says every bear that is shot represents hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost tourism revenue.

The assembly discussed putting up signs that would set areas aside for bears. Or electric fences around campsites. Or more staff at the campsites. And education programs, and requiring campers watch a video about bears when they sign up for a site.

Koch, of fish and game, said it is more of a people problem than a bear problem.

Koch: “The other elephant in the room, which is a lot harder to stomach because its such an important part of the economy, is, if you are not going to be able to monitor this, then it’s up to you guys to decide how many people is too many for the bears.”

But Kroes, with the park service, says a new ranger has been hired, and the situation is under control.

Kroes: “I think with the salmon run picking up and improving, the bears are starting to feed on the salmon and natural sources, and not so much relying on dumpsters in the area, and bothering the campground and the residential areas.”  

Kroes says it is important that people witnessing bear incident first hand report them to officials, so that they can make decision based on the best information.

As far as bear activity boroughwide, there is one thing everybody can agree on.

Kroes: “Definitely not leave any bear attractant out.”

Koch: “People need to stay alert, secure everything as best they can.”

Morphet: “Keeping the bears out of their garbage.”

And the Haines borough can help with this. In partnership with the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife, the borough is offering free bear resistant trash cans. Any resident can sign up for a free can at the borough office, or email the clerk. As of Friday afternoon, 27 people had signed up. 

Mayor Morphet says the program provided over a hundred cans to Seward residents.

Morphet: “We are not sure how many we can provide, but we need a list before we can go to the defenders of wildlife and say how many we need. That’s what they need is a list, and we need to get people signed up on that list. That’s what we can do immediately.”

As another immediate measure, the assembly voted to appropriate $3K to make signs that will promote bear safety.