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Bear Canisters
Desolation Wilderness News: Food Canisters Required for Backpackers
The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit requires overnight visitors to the Desolation Wilderness to store food, garbage and any other scented items in a hard-sided canister designed to prevent access by bears. Bear-resistant containers are required in all other areas. The purpose of these forest orders is to protect the lives of visitors and to help keep Tahoe bears wild. View the forest orders and learn more about coexisting with bears at TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.
In recent years, bears have become more aggressive in their search for food, relying on human sources rather than natural sources. This has caused increased interactions between humans and bears and the possibility of bears becoming habituated to the presence of humans. A person who fights back or gets between the bear and food is risking bodily injury or death. In cases where a bear is known to repeatedly threaten or intimidate visitors, or cause injury, the bear may be euthanized.
When a bear gets human food, it creates a mess with food packaging torn up and left scattered in campsites and along lakeshores. Sometimes bears eat the packaging along with the food. Rangers have observed food wrappers with bar codes in bear scat.
Backpackers at Lake Aloha, Gilmore Lake, and other popula
Alert Start Date: July 18th, 2022
Alert End Date: July 17th, 2025
Rec Sites Affected:
Order Number: 19-22-05
Forest Order
DESOLATION WILDERNESS
FOOD AND REFUSE STORAGE RESTRICTION
FOREST ORDER NO. 03-22-11
ELDORADO NATIONAL FOREST
FOREST ORDER NO. 19-22-05
LAKE TAHOE BASIN MANAGEMENT UNIT
Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a), and to provide for public safety and to protect natural resources, the following acts are prohibited within the Desolation Wilderness that is located within the Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. This Order is effective from July 18, 2022, through July 17, 2025.
Possessing or storing any food or refuse in Desolation Wilderness, unless the food or refuse is stored in a canister designed to prevent access by bears. 36 C.F.R. § 261.58(cc).
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order.
2. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire-fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
This prohibition is in addition to the general prohibitions found in 36 C.F.R. Part 261, Subpart A.
A violation of this prohibition is punishable by a fine ofnot more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.
Done at Placerville, California this 15th day of July, 2022.
JEFF MARSOLAIS
Forest Supervisor
Eldorado National Forest
Done at South Lake Tahoe, California this 15th day of July, 2022.
ERICK WALKER
Forest Supervisor
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit