A Durango man who was fined $1,000 for feeding bears, his third offense in eight years, has been identified as Roy Newman, 61.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife previously declined to release the man’s name, but The Durango Herald filed an open-records request under the Colorado Open Records Act for the ticket issued by CPW, which included Newman’s name.
Newman, who lives on Animas View Drive, did not return phone calls seeking comment. According to the Herald’s archives, he is a local developer.
Newman was ticketed last month for intentionally leaving food out for bears in the backyard of his home.
It is the third time in eight years Newman has been ticketed for feeding bears.
In Colorado, fines for feeding bears escalate with each violation. In 2010, Newman paid a $100 fine, and in 2012, he paid a $500 fine. These incidents occurred when he was living in a different home north of Durango.
In a previous interview, Matt Thorpe, wildlife manager for CPW, said when enforcement officers contacted Newman, he wrote a check and paid the fine on the spot, which came amounted to about $1,400 after surcharges.
Feeding wildlife is considered dangerous to both the animals and humans.
Bears that become accustomed to finding food sources left by humans often lose their natural fear of people and return to areas with an expectation of getting easy food.
For neighbors, it is dangerous to have bears running around that are no longer afraid of humans. As a result, more often than not, bears fed by humans run into trouble by breaking into homes or garages and ultimately must be euthanized.
Thorpe said CPW officials have been monitoring bear activity around Animas View Drive for conflicts. Earlier this week, Thorpe said all had been quiet.
If Newman is caught feeding bears again, he is subject to another $1,000 fine.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
