Every address within the town of Mancos will soon receive a notice reminding them to properly stow their trash in a wildlife-proof or -resistant container.
It’s not a new rule. The town adopted Ordinance 599 in 2008, which requires residents to have such a container.
“It’s just never really been addressed or enforced,” said Mancos Town Marshal Justen Goodall.
Starting April 1, though, it will be.
At first, the Marshal’s Office will issue warnings. If the office comes by again and cans are still not complaint, they’ll issue a citation.
A quick scan of the QR code in the lower right corner of the notice will take you to the ordinance, which outlines specifically what a “wildlife-proof refuse container” is.
The lid must fully cover the dumpster’s opening with fitted edges: “Lids must not be turned up or bent.” It also must “be constructed to withstand the weight of a bear.”
The container itself must have “closure mechanisms” like a latching device that “will withstand opening by wildlife and will remain closed when on their side or upside down.”
It’s up to the refuge companies to provide the compliant containers, Goodall said, not individual residents.
Last year, three bears visited in town. Two were trapped, as they were “safety concerns for the school,” Goodall said. If they’re trapped again, they’ll be euthanized.
“Problem bears” are something of a misnomer since they’re just doing what they do naturally, which is searching for food, he said.
But, “in order to reduce human/wildlife interaction and protect wildlife from being harmed or destroyed, it is extremely important that we never feed wild animals, either intentionally or through improperly stored garbage,” the public notice reads.
So make sure you have a wildlife proof trash can! Contact Mancos Town Hall at (970) 533-7725 with questions.
