Help Needed – Trash Distributed by Bears

Send Reports to bears@3rtogether.org

Are you tired of seeing trash distributed all over our community? Are you one of the many volunteers who are picking up trash, some of you on a daily basis? Are you one of the dozens of community members who have been reporting trash incidents and bear sightings to bears@3rtogether.org?

Thank you!

Thanks to your efforts, our community is less unsightly and less of an attraction to hungry bears. And thanks to your efforts, the Bear Smart Three Rivers team has been able to hone our Community Action Plan and demonstrate the nature and extent of the problem to both the county and Mid Valley Disposal. Thanks to you, we are making progress in our quest to acquire affordable certified bear-resistant trash carts for Three Rivers. 

We still need your help! Please continue to report all bear sightings, bear-distributed trash, toppled metal bins, and property damage to bears@3rtogether.org. Please provide the date, time, location, and description. If possible, please provide a photo. 

As of today, 161 confirmed sightings and incidents have been reported in 2025, the majority in May, June, and July. As many as 17 bears, including 7 cubs have been sighted in Three Rivers. Two of this year’s cubs are believed to be dead, and we have confirmed one injured adult bear. The incident reports include 109 reports of garbage access, 13 reports of attempted access with adverse impact, 2 reports of attempted house entry, 2 reports of property damage, and 2 reports of general nuisance (toppling of grills, outdoor furniture, & etc.). Plastic recycling carts are targeted as often as plastic garbage carts. 61% of the garbage-related reports involve metal curbside bins and at least 77% involve short term rentals. At least 57% of the trash-related incidents involved code violations, including plastic trash carts left out every day or metal bins illegally located where bears topple them onto public roads, which has led to road blockages and at least one traffic accident this year. NOTE: These reports represent only a fraction of the total number of incidents.