Free bear-resistant trash cans coming to houses in 6 N.J. towns - NJ.com

Free bear-resistant trash cans coming to houses in 6 N.J. towns - nj.com

New Jersey has a new plan for reducing bear encounters in northwestern New Jersey.

Nearly 3,000 bear-resistant residential trash receptacles will be distributed in six municipalities in the coming weeks free of charge, courtesy of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Bear encounters often result from garbage in regular, unsecured trash cans drawing unwelcome visitors to residential properties, state officials said in making the announcement.

All of the bear-resistant cans are being paid for with $500,000 from the state budget, state officials said. That is more than $160 per can.

The trash cans are from Toter, a North Carolina-based company, state officials said.

They will go to residents in Jefferson and Rockaway Township in Morris County; Sparta, Hardyston and Hampton in Sussex County; and West Milford in Passaic County.

The cans include rugged rims to deter chewing, double-walled lids and a beefier handle and hinge, a company spokesperson said.

“Bears have an extremely keen sense of smell. They are actively searching for food as they leave dens. The risk of an unwanted encounter rises if they associate you or your property with food,” state Department of Environmental Protection Fish & Wildlife Assistant Commissioner David Golden said.

The six municipalities were chosen because they had an “elevated numbers” of bear incident reports, state officials said. While bears have been sighted in all 21 counties, many are concentrated in the northwestern part of the state.
Toter LLC is providing bear-resistant residential trash receptacles to six New Jersey towns in "bear country."Calvin M. (Chuck) Adams

There had been 117 bear sightings and complaints in New Jersey reported to state this year, as of April 21, including 35 incidents involving garbage, according to the state’s latest bear activity report. That total does not include any incidents handled by local police departments without state Department of Environmental Protection assistance.

While bears are frequently spotted in New Jersey, attacks are rare. In 2014, a 22-year-old Rutgers University student was killed by a bear while hiking in West Milford. It remains the only documented fatality from a bear in state history, according to wildlife officials.

In 2017, an 81-year-old Sparta woman was putting out her garbage in the evening when a bear estimated at 400 pounds injured her and fatally wounded her dog, an English Springer Spaniel.

New Jersey holds an annual bear hunt in the fall. It was suspended in 2021 with the support of Gov. Phil Murphy, who has touted non-lethal alternatives to hunting bears. But, the hunt resumed the following year amid a surge in bear encounters.

The state is leaving decisions on distributing the free bear-resistant trash receptacles up to the municipalities.

Hardyson is getting 407 cans and will be handing them out on a first-come, first-served basis starting May 14, said Township Manager Carrine Piccolo-Kaufer.

Half of the cans had arrived as of Wednesday and were being stored in the local public works garage.

“We have a lot of wooded areas. There’s a decent number of bear encounters throughout the year,” she said.

Toter offers bear-resistant trash cans in two sizes, 64 gallons and 96 gallons. State officials did not say whether it ordered one, or both, versions, but Piccolo-Kaufer said the cans that arrived in Hardyston are all 64 gallons.

“People can prevent encounters with bears by removing or properly securing any potential food sources such as trash, pet food or bird seed. It is also critically important for people to never feed black bears. Feeding bears is dangerous, illegal and may result in bears becoming aggressive,” Golden said.

Stories by Rob Jennings

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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.