Advocates want to give bears rights in South Lake Tahoe sanctuary city proposal

"What we'd like to do is make the City of South Lake Tahoe a city where bears would be given some rights,"

"So what we're thinking is, people would need to do a little bit more to avoid having a problem in the first place. And there are many things they can do, and the Bear League helps them with that. And so does the Department of Wildlife, and so does the police,"

"Then instead of just the Department of Wildlife being the only agency or the only group that says, okay, he has to die, then we have a governing board and we sit down and we look at this practically. And what did the bear do, and what did the people do to avoid it? And what can be done to avoid it happening again? And then we decide together, kind of like a trial, in effect, you know, we give the bear a fair shake."

South Lake Tahoe experienced a tense summer of black bear break-ins into trash, homes, and vehicles. The Bear League plans to present a proposal to designate South Lake Tahoe as a sanctuary city for bears to prioritize non-lethal management. Residents and agencies clashed when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced plans to euthanize a mama bear, Hope, after multiple break-in attempts involving her and her cub, Bounce. The Bear League proposes a governing board including the Bear League, Department of Fish and Wildlife, police, and community representatives to review incidents, assess human and bear behavior, and decide responses collaboratively. The Department of Fish and Wildlife continues to prioritize non-lethal methods for supporting a thriving black bear population.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco