Durango, CO: **Seven metal trash containers will be installed at bus stops in Durango as part of a regional effort among two local nonprofit groups, local municipalities, and the state of Colorado to help reduce human-bear conflicts.
The Good Food Collective and Bear Smart Durango submitted an application for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Human-Bear Conflict Reduction grant. The state awarded $44,000 to help the group purchase the new cans. The city of Durango matched the grant with $4,200 for seven cans, and the Mancos School District contributed $7,000 for 19 cans.
The grant helps reduce human-bear conflict in La Plata, Archuleta and Montezuma counties. Project partners identified unsecured trash, fruit trees, crops and other human-provided food sources as primary contributors to bear activity in residential and commercial areas.
La Plata County is one of the leading areas in the state for reports involving trash, beehives, fruit trees and crops, as well as bear relocations. Agency data show trash is associated with 57% of property damage reports involving bears in the region.
In 2025, La Plata County led Colorado in total bear reports, with 53 bears dying in human-caused conflict. Nearly half of resident reports listed trash as the human-food attractant. La Plata County also had the highest number of bear and trash reports, chicken and fruit-tree incidents, cubs being orphaned, and bears being relocated and euthanized.
The bear-resistant cans will be installed at the following locations:
Durango Recreation Center (Main Avenue Trolley route).
Ptarmigan Center (Fort Lewis route).
Turner Drive and Sawyer Drive (Walmart route).
East Second Street and Eighth Avenue (Walmart route).
College Drive and Fourth Avenue (Fort Lewis and Walmart routes).
Walmart (two cans).
For more information about living responsibly in bear country, visit Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
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Media Contact**Tom SluisPublic Information Officer Phone: (970) 375-5090Email: Tom Sluis