If bears are to be shot, restaurants and other violators should be fined and fined significantly. I start this letter with a caveat that I only know about the recent bear incident with the restaurant manager based on reporting in the local papers.
It astounds me that the bear will be shot. It begs the question, why is there a bear in your dumpster? It is obvious that the dumpster is left open because it facilitates pitching the bags of garbage over the fence rather than walking them out to the alley and placing them in a secured, bear-proof dumpster as required.
Over a month ago there were articles in the local papers about noncompliance by local restaurants and other commercial entities in securing trash in downtown alleyways. Why has nothing been done to solve this? A few fines of $500 and $1,000, escalating from there, by the city of Aspen or Parks and Wildlife, would surely bring trash compliance about in quick order. Warnings should be a thing of the past when bears are being shot because of human incompetence and carelessness.
Lisa Markalunas
Aspen