A month ago, I came across a worn and tattered field guide that sat for generations in our family home: Birds: A Guide to the Most Familiar American Birds. Now literally in pieces held together by a rubber band, the book brought back a flood of memories.
As a small child, I would comb the pages of this field guide to identify each visitor to the bird feeder placed just beyond a nearby kitchen window. I’d check out the picture of the bald eagle and imagine the day a member of this majestic species would pick our bird feeder for his noonday lunch. (Still waiting).
So taken with nostalgia, I impulsively ordered a new one on Amazon. By new, I mean I ordered the exact same 1960s-era edition. Not until the new purchase was in my hand did it hit me; the timing of my new purchase was terrible. We can’t have a bird feeder in Montreat. The eagles will have to look elsewhere.
One of the great gifts of living and gathering in Montreat is our proximity to the natural world. Surrounded by thousands of acres of protected forest, we enjoy daily reminders of the beauty of God’s creation. Among the most visible inhabitants of that creation are the black bears that call these mountains home. And yet…it’s becoming increasingly clear that our relationship with bears is changing, and not for the better.
The increase in bear activity is undeniable. Encounters on trails have become more common. Bears are spending more time near homes and cottages. Reports of bears breaking into vehicles in search of food are increasing, as is property damage associated with bear activity. Last weekend, bear activity on Lookout Mountain required us to temporarily close the main trail.
Once upon a time, we could assure ourselves that our bear neighbors were “more afraid of us than we are of them.” That’s changing – signs point to local bears becoming less fearful of our presence and the reason is clear. Bears are highly intelligent, and they learn quickly where food is available. When unsecured trash, bird feeders, pet food, coolers, or other food sources are readily accessible, bears begin to associate human communities with easy meals. Occasional visits become habitual behavior, and OUR habitual behavior is making Montreat an increasingly attractive target for bears.
Authorities have warned us. (You can find advice for limiting bear interactions here.) Both town officials and wildlife experts have consistently emphasized in recent years that the most effective way to reduce human-bear interaction is to eliminate food attractions. That means securing trash containers, removing bird feeders, keeping food out of vehicles, cleaning outdoor grills, and avoiding any practice that unintentionally feeds wildlife. We have been told repeatedly that, together, these actions can significantly reduce the likelihood of bears becoming food-conditioned.
Evidence is abundant that some in our community are not listening… Some people frown about safety and the growing number of bear encounters. I hear concerns from others who care deeply about the bears themselves and fear that conflicts will result in more bears being euthanized. These concerns are valid, but still, bear activity increases. I’ve also heard the one about bears being “already here, and it’s too late.” The voice inside my own head whines these words occasionally, like when I’d rather not take the time to clean my grill thoroughly after each use.
It’s rationalization. Bear scat. Yes, the bear population appears to be increasing. We may have bears in Montreat for some time to come even if we do everything right. No, the complete elimination of bear activity is probably not realistic, perhaps not even desirable. None of that is a good excuse to avoid doing what we can to reduce the behaviors that encourage bears to seek out human spaces. Every resident, cottager, guest, and conferee has a role to play.
If you are part of this community, you are part of the solution, and the choices you make will help determine whether Montreat remains a place where people and wildlife can coexist safely. By taking simple precautions, we can protect our neighbors and visitors and help ensure that black bears remain wild bears who don’t depend on discarded frozen pizza for their survival.
We need to get serious before it gets serious. Let’s do it.
Richard DuBose
President, Montreat Conference Center
A quick update on lodge progress: In case you missed it, the MRA has filed an application for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) to pursue an alternative proposal (you can read more about that action here) first unveiled to the community in a public hearing on April 9th. You can view a recording of that presentation here.
The proposal will be presented to the Town of Montreat’s Planning and Zoning Commission at the earliest opportunity. As we prepare for that hearing, we remain in conversation with neighbors on the opportunities for Option Two and the compromises inherent in the plan. Speaking only for myself, these discussions have been meaningful and productive.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina Supreme Court notified all parties that it has agreed to hear the case on the Special Use Permit (SUP) we received to build a new lodge in Montreat, taking up petitions from both sides of the dispute over the Town’s approval of our planned lodge project. Last November, the NC Court of Appeals reversed a 2023 trial court decision that revoked the special use permit finding that the Town had substantial evidence supporting its decision to grant it. You can read more about that here.
Though the fate of the legal case would have no bearing on the lodge development if the PUD application is approved, we remain encouraged by the outcome of the North Carolina Court of Appeals unanimous opinion and will defend that decision as necessary.
You can stay up to date on the project on our website. More to come.