Seminole County leaders pass ordinance requiring residents to secure trash from bears

SANFORD, Fla. — Officials passed a bear management ordinance Tuesday with a goal of cutting down on bear encounters in Seminole County.

It means 26,000 residents are about to be under new trash rules.

The ordinance requires residents living west of Interstate 4 to keep trash cans containing food waste inside.Under the new ordinance, cans can only be taken out at 5 a.m. on pickup days and must be brought in by 8 p.m. that night.

Trash in residential areas must be secured within a bear-resistant trash can or inside a garage, home or shed. Commercial property, such as restaurants and grocery stores, are also required to place trash within a bear-resistant container.

PDF: New ordinance on trash cans | Map related to ordinance

“We’re trying to address human-bear conflicts and keep the public safe,” said County Manager Nicole Guillet.

Bird feeders will have to be suspended on a cable or other device to prevent bears from reaching them. Fruit — with the exception of citrus — will have to be picked off of trees when it's ripe, and fallen fruit has to be promptly removed from the ground.

Grease traps on barbecue grills must be emptied, and grills must be cleaned after each use.

Pet food or food bowls will not be allowed outside overnight unless inside a secured enclosed kennel.

Violators of the ordinance could face a $100 fine per day for every offense if a bear is spotted as a result.

The rules will be enforced on a complaint basis and only if a bear is attracted as a result of the violation.

Some residents opposed the idea.

“You can’t make being stupid a crime and you can’t legislate ignorance,” said Steve Moore.

Seminole County has had three bear attacks in the past two years.

The measure comes several weeks after the state's first controversial bear hunt in more than two decades, where hunters killed roughly 300 bears in two days.

The new rules go into effect in 60 days.

#BREAKING @SeminoleCounty approves ordinance to designate 'Urban Bear Management Area'- making new trash rules to reduce bear conflict #WFTV

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