Tahoe bear woes subject of meeting

By Patrick McCartney
Sierra Sun, pmccartney@sierrasun.com
September 21, 2007

West Shore residents plagued by bear break-ins this summer will share their concerns with county and state officials at a meeting Tuesday in the state capitol.

Members of the Timberland Association of Homeowners will meet with Placer Supervisor Bruce Kranz and state Sen. Dave Cox, and be joined by state Fish and Game representatives and officials with Placer County’s agricultural department.

Also invited to attend is the Tahoe-based nonprofit, the BEAR League.

The private meeting is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. in the legislative offices of Sen. Cox.

“We’ve heard a lot of constituent stories,” said Collier Cook, a Tahoe aide to Kranz, who called for the meeting. “I live on the West Shore, and I have my stories, too. We have a lot of empathy toward the people who have reported problems.”

A part-time Timberland resident who has had more than his fair share of bear encounters this year, Sumner Thomas, said he hoped the state and local officials who attend the meeting can come up with some answers.

“They want to get all the major players in the same room, and see what kind of solutions come out of it,” Thomas said in a phone interview.

After bears broke into his Timberland residence three times, Thomas spray-painted surrender signs on the plywood he used to board up the windows when he left town: “We give up” and “The bears won.”

Thomas said bears have broken into four homes on Timberland’s Rustic Lane alone this summer. He added that sheriff’s personnel told him they receive between 30 and 40 calls a night from North Tahoe residents complaining of intrusive bears.