Blue Ridge Public Safety

05/27/2026

On Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28, several helicopter training activities will be conducted at DuPont State Recreational Forest. While there will be no trail or area closures associated with this training, visitors should avoid areas on the forest where helicopters can be seen or heard.

05/14/2026

Switch To Bear-Resistant Containers (BRCs)

Regular trash cans and dumpsters may look sturdy, but special reinforcement is necessary to withstand a determined bear. The upfront investment in bear-resistant products is well worth it when you consider the cost of continually replacing ruined garbage containers and spending time picking up scattered trash. Switching to bear-resistant products will help keep people and property safe and bears wild.

If your waste service provider does not provide bear-resistant containers, you can purchase your own. Before buying or modifying, ask if they are able to service it, and if containers must be unlatched before pick up.

For lists of products that have passed testing protocols and been approved as bear-resistant, visit the websites of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) and Wildlife Management Institute (WMI runs the testing program developed by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies).

https://bearwise.org/keep-bears-out/

05/14/2026

Where’s the Food?
Bears have a built-in GPS, great long-term memories and an uncanny ability to find their way back to anywhere they found reliable sources of food last year. So, if you had any bear visits last year, make sure the bird feeders are down, there’s no pet food or birdseed outside and the garbage is in bear-resistant containers or stored securely somewhere bears can’t see, smell or get at it.

https://bearwise.org/what-bears-do-in-may/?mc_cid=ea0144ee11&mc_eid=f1fba85aee

05/14/2026

Home Alone, Not Abandoned

If you come across a bear cub (or two or three) that seem to be abandoned, mom is probably off industriously searching for food and has left the cubs in or under a “babysitter tree.” It takes a lot of calories to stay in nursing shape and keep the cubs well-fed and growing; the mother bear may be two miles away. Or mom may be hiding nearby, stressed out and waiting for you to leave, so the longer you hang around, the longer the cubs will be on their own.

If you see bear cubs all alone, don’t pick them up or touch them. If you believe they are truly orphaned, take a quick photo of the cubs that shows the location (no selfies, please), note GPS coordinates if you can, and leave the area. Contact your state wildlife agency for further guidance.

https://bearwise.org/what-bears-do-in-may/?mc_cid=ea0144ee11&mc_eid=f1fba85aee

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to All the mothers out there

05/06/2026