Beware: Bears are more active in the spring - Easton Courier
State environmental officials are reminding residents to be aware of, and prepare for, bears that become more active this time of year as they for look for food, territory and mates.
The state’s bear population, which is estimated at more than 300, continues to grow and expand. In 2008, more than 2,700 bear sightings were reported from 133 of Connecticut’s 169 towns.
Ed Parker, Natural Resources Bureau chief for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said most problems occur when bears are attracted near homes by human-provided food sources.
“If bears find food rewards near homes, they can become habituated and lose their fear of humans,” Parker said. “The best step in preventing problems with bears is to avoid intentionally or unintentionally feeding bears.”
The two most common attractants are bird seed at feeders and household garbage, according to Parker. Residents who maintain backyard bird feeders should take down their feeders in the spring and store them until late fall. Wild birds do not require supplemental food during spring, summer and fall.
Auburn JournalThe Americans Who Risked Everything "Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Louis Morris, the fourth New York delegate, saw all his timber, crops, and livestock taken. For seven years he was barred from his home and family. · John Hart of Trenton, New Jersey, risked his life to return home to see his dying wife.
PigProgress.netVilsack stops short of endorsing mandatory animal IDMany livestock producers, large and small, are opposed to an ID system because of the cost, privacy concerns and potential for lawsuits. Vilsack says he plans to arrange meetings with groups that are opposed to the plan. "Right now, there's a division Vilsack hedges on single-agency food regulation