The fate of the three dumpsters at the Mount Desert Town Garage has taken a backseat to what Town Manager Alex Kimball describes as a more pressing matter: a mother bear and her two cubs.
“For at least the past two nights, a mother bear and her two cubs have been spotted at the dumpsters at the town garage,” Kimball wrote in a September 29 email. “They are definitely feeding at the dumpsters, and will almost certainly keep coming back as long as the food source is available to them.”
Earlier in September, a mother bear and two cubs had been spotted in multiple areas in Mount Desert, prompting the town to send out a news flash, writing, “as fall approaches, black bears are more active in areas of the Town of Mount Desert. Bears are searching for food to prepare for winter, and household garbage is a major attractant. We have received reports that bears have been spotted on Beech Hill Cross Road, Ripples Road, and Pretty Marsh.”
Now, a family of bears has been hanging out at the town garage on Sargent Drive, a place which has been in the news lately as the town tries to determine the best course of action for the three dumpsters located there that have been determined to be an insurance liability.
Household trash is often an attractant to the bears.
“They appear to be somewhat bold already, and are ignoring wildlife deterrents already in place. We need to stop this behavior immediately in order to keep them from becoming any more acclimated to the area. While it is possible that this is the same trio seen in the Somesville-Beech Hill area recently, there is no way to know for sure,” Kimball explained.
The town will be placing temporary barricades in front of the garage’s entryways as well as signs explaining why those barricades are there.
The signs, Kimball said, will also be “pleading with people to stop dropping off their trash at the location. This will need to be in place at least until we stop having bear sightings at a minimum. If we do not take these steps immediately, the area will be an enormous hazard to both the bears and the residents. The Town of Mount Desert can’t possibly more strongly request of residents to NOT dump any trash at the location after hours. If they do so, they are reinforcing to the bears that the town garage is in fact still a viable food source.”
There will be no public access to the town garage other than between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
“The dumpsters will be removed from the facility at night to reduce the attraction to the bears,” Kimball explained.
This story was originally published by The Bar Harbor Story. To receive regular coverage from the Bar Harbor Story, sign up for a free subscription here.