Conservation officers will be respecting trespass laws when performing property inspections this summer and fall, but they still have the authority to issue fines.
“What we’re doing is essentially auditing. It’s all plain view kind of stuff – we’re not out there to look through people’s backyards and look through people’s garbage. We’re looking at generally what people would see when driving by residences,” South Coast Conservation Officer Service (COS) Sgt. Dean Miller told Coast Reporter.
Last week Miller announced property inspections would be performed in the coming weeks to try to mitigate conflicts between wildlife and humans.
Bear conflicts spiked this spring and are expected to increase in the fall as food sources dwindle and bears begin preparing for denning season.
Miller said conservation officers have the authority to approach any house by the front door, but they are bound by B.C.’s trespass law. He also clarified that the inspections would be targeted.
“We’re not doing this randomly. We’re focusing on neighbourhoods that are problematic based on our call reporting and sightings,” he said.
“We understand people’s right to privacy and have no intention of invading anyone’s privacy for the purposes of controlling attractants to wildlife.”
If conservation officers have reasonable grounds to believe dangerous wildlife could be attracted to a land or premises other than a private dwelling, “the conservation officer may, without a warrant, enter and search the land or premises,” and if the attractant poses a safety risk, then the officer has the authority to issue a dangerous wildlife protection order, with some exceptions, according to B.C.’s Wildlife Act.
Officers can also issue a general violation ticket on the spot under the Wildlife Act.
Miller described the dangerous wildlife protection order as a warning, which requires the owner to remove or control the attractant within a specified timeframe, and officers may levy “a considerable fine” if they fail to comply.
Since education is a primary goal, the officers plan to use “a high degree of discretion,” Miller said. “We can give them the option of fruit cleaners if it’s a fruit issue. It may be an issue if they cannot pick fruit themselves.”
Responding to wildlife conflict calls detracts from other duties such as performing hunting and fishing checks and following up on pollution files, Miller said.
“We’re kind of at a point where we’ve done a lot of education efforts through social media [but] we want to go beyond that to really drive the point home to the public.”
Also working to reduce conflicts between wildlife is the Sunshine Coast’s new WildSafeBC coordinator, Alison Maxwell.
While Maxwell does not have the same authority to issue fines as COS officers, she will also be involved in education efforts. “It’s more of a collaborative approach. [COS] might contact me to target an area for door-to-door canvassing and bin tagging, they have more authority,” Maxwell told Coast Reporter.
Maxwell, a long-time resident of the Sunshine Coast and Gambier Island, began her contract in July and will be working until the end of November.
Normally, the program is up and running at the beginning of May but staffing issues caused a delay. The program is funded through the Sunshine Coast Regional District, the BC Conservation Foundation and the BC Ministry of Environment.
Maxwell is planning a number of education initiatives, including appearances at schools through the WildSafe Rangers program in the fall. A WildSafeBC booth is planned for the Aug. 30 night market in Gibsons, the Harvest Festival at the Botanical Garden in Sechelt on Sept. 1, and on Sept. 7 she will be at the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market.
Another larger event called BC Goes Wild is planned for September.
The public is invited to contact Maxwell to invite her to engagements or for education purposes via email: sunshinecoast@wildsafebc or phone: 604-885-6800 ext. 6476.
