The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Board of Commissioners approved an emergency rule yesterday that prohibits both intentional and passive feeding of black bears in Buncombe County, to reduce repeated incidents involving humans and bears. Commissioners say the language is not intended to prohibit bird feeding nor is it intended to prohibit the use of legal bait for the purposes of regulated hunting, unless those actions pose a threat to human safety or result in property damage. The rule will now go to the Office of Administrative Hearings for final approval, a required step for an emergency rule.
Statewide, over 40% of human-bear interactions reported to the commission occur in Buncombe County and are primarily in Asheville, Black Mountain and Swannanoa.
