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RANGERS WILL CRACK DOWN Beartooth Forest campers increasingly careless with campfire, bears By LORNA THACKERAY Of The Gazette Staff Last weekend hundreds of visitors poured into the Beartooth District of Custer National Forest. At least five of them walked away from burning campfires. Wednesday, a large black bear was trapped at the Woodbine Campground near Red Lodge by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Campers who failed to follow food storage regulations had provided some easy meals. The bear was back for more. Carelessness, like visitor numbers, seems to be on the rise in the forests bordering Yellowstone National Park. Exasperated rangers who like to avoid issuing citations to campers have decided the time has come to crack down. "Our first intent is to educate people to get compliance," Rand Herzberg, district ranger on the Beartooth, said Thursday. "When that doesn't work, you have to raise the bar a little." Last summer, Custer Forest Supervisor Nancy Curriden signed an order regulating food storage in the Beartooth District in an effort to prevent potentially dangerous people-bear encounters. The rules are posted everywhere and the rangers have done everything within their power to educate the camping public, Herzberg said. "We're just not getting to some people," said Mike Watkins, Forest Service law enforcement ranger on the district.
Bear rules are strictThe rules are pretty basic. Store food in a bear resistant container, in a closed vehicle or 10 feet off the ground and at least four feet horizontally from any supporting tree or pole. Don't camp near an animal carcass or leave one within a half mile of any sleeping area, trail or recreation site. Coolers stored on the ground aren't good enough, Herzberg said. "Bears are very intelligent animals," he said. "They know what coolers are and they know what's in them." He also advises locking food in the trunk rather than in the passenger compartment. He's seen instances where a hungry bear has wedged it claws between the door and the car body and bent the window frame to get to food. Bears have also been known to break car windows. Recently a bear scratched up a brand new Ford Explorer trying to get to the goodies inside, he said. "Bears are really good at remembering where they get rewarded with food," Watkins said. "They might not hurt the first person who leaves food out, but the next camper who uses the campsite might not be so lucky." Watkins said that in the last week, rangers have received reports of bears at three campsites in areas outside the developed campgrounds. The developed campgrounds are less apt to have problems because a host is usually on patrol reminding people that food must be stored safely. But the bears become bolder as time goes by, he said, noting the black bear trapped at Woodbine. A small bear has also been taking food off tables at the Cascade Campground. Once a bear learns to look for meals in a campground, its days may be numbered as well. Some offenders can be trapped and moved. Others may have to be killed. "We really hate to see a bear destroyed because it gets too used to people," Herzberg said. "I think if most people understood that the bear's life is at stake, they would be more careful." A citation for improperly storing food can cost the violator $50.
Lack of fire safetyEven harder for Forest Service employees to comprehend is a growing disregard for fire safety."It's a tremendous problem," Herzberg said. "People are walking away and leaving campfires burning. Nobody puts out campfires anymore." The five campfires rangers doused last week in the main canyon of Rock Creek were prime examples. "No matter where you are in that canyon, you're no more than 200 yards from water," Watkins said. "It just shocks us." Fire danger in the woods was only moderate Thursday, but Herzberg said he is expecting 90 degree temperatures over the next five days and that can dry things out quickly. Thursday morning, he was preparing to check out a fire report on the district. Visitors who leave a campfire unattended or fail to make sure their campfire has been totally extinguished can expect a citation that could cost $100.
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