Yes Presents Award To BFI For Outstanding Work To Prevent Human / Grizzly Bear Problems

BOZEMAN - At their meeting in Bozeman recently, the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee (YES) awarded Browning Feris Industries (BFI) with a plaque to recognize the time and money invested in helping to prevent sanitation related problems with both black and grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Dean Ulrich, manager for BFI in Bozeman, Montana was awarded the plaque by Reg Rothwell from the Wyoming Department of Game & Fish, the current Chairman of YES. Both Ulrich and BFI Marketing Director Harry Kirchenbaum were recognized for spearheading the project that helped to put an end to over 10 years of bear related problems in the Big Sky, Montana area. Converting over to a bear-proof system was no small undertaking on BFI's part. In addition to the key role played by BFI, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks, along with the Sierra Club worked on coordinating a public education outreach campaign. All of these groups working together were able to meet with the Gallatin County Commissioners and the Big Sky Homeowners Association to come up with solutions that would work for the bears, homeowners, BFI and county government. Not only did the project require new trash containers that were bear-proof, but also BFI had to make the capital commitment to acquiring new trucks especially designed to handling the new receptacles. BFI also donated the manpower to convert over all the containers in the Big Sky system in one weekend. Community efforts to reduce sanitation related problems with bears are ongoing throughout the ecosystem. According to Park County Commissioner Ed Schilling of Cooke City, Montana, "We had an open dumpster situation that even though fenced, had been an ongoing problem with grizzly bears. In order to solve the problem we were able to construct a fully enclosed compactor/transfer station." Similar efforts have led to creation of a compactor station in West Yellowstone, Montana. Cooperative efforts such as these show that bears and humans can co-exist, as long as the will to make things better exists.