U.S. Forest Service: Practice black-bear safety this weekend

PRESS RELEASE: The U.S. Forest Service is encouraging campers and visitors to the national forests in North Carolina to practice black bear safety this Memorial Day weekend.

The warning comes on the heels of two bear encounters in the Pisgah Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest, over the past week. The incidents occurred near the Black Balsam area off the Blue Ridge Parkway, south of Shining Rock Wilderness. In both cases, the bears obtained food from backcountry camp sites. Minor property damage was reported. There were no injuries.

While black bear attacks on people are rare, such attacks have resulted in human fatalities.

Visitors are encouraged to prevent bear interactions by practicing the following safety tips:
• Do not store food in tents.

• Properly store food by hanging it in a tree or in another secure container.

• Clean up food or garbage around fire rings, grills or other areas of your campsite.

• Do not leave food unattended.

For more tips, visit www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc, click on “Bear Safety Tips and PSAs.”

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About Margaret Williams
Editor Margaret Williams first wrote for Xpress in 1994. An Alabama native, she has lived in Western North Carolina since 1987 and completed her Masters of Liberal Arts & Sciences from UNC-Asheville in 2016. Follow me @mvwilliams

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