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Fish & Game warns bears are using Kodiak landfill after fence failures; assembly schedules on‑site review
Summary
Fish & Game wildlife biologist Nate Saboda told the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly that gaps and electrical failures in the landfill fence have allowed bears to enter and feed on trash, creating wildlife‑health and public‑safety risks.
Nate Saboda, an air wildlife biologist with Alaska Department of Fish & Game, told the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly that insufficient maintenance of the landfill’s electric fence has allowed bears and cubs to access trash and, in at least one instance, den inside the landfill.
Saboda said maintenance lapses have left gaps and a lack of electrical current along sections of the fence for approximately two years, conditioning bears to feed on human refuse. He described a recent case in which a bear was euthanized after suffering an intestinal blockage caused by ingesting trash, and reported that bears have been observed denning inside the landfill during the previous winter. He added that staff and residents have had run‑ins with bears, and that at least one bear death caused by another bear occurred inside the landfill this summer.
The borough manager, Amy Williams, told the assembly that Cody (engineering and facilities director) will meet with landfill staff to “walk that fence” with Mr. Zavoda on Monday to assess and prioritize repairs. Several assembly members expressed concern about public safety and staff safety, thanked Fish & Game and local troopers for reporting and response, and urged prioritizing fence repairs and resources.
Assembly members and the manager discussed options to reduce human‑bear conflict, including better enforcement of existing solid‑waste rules, placarding of roll‑off dumpsters to indicate “residential trash only — no construction debris,” and targeted enforcement against contractors who dump construction debris in residential dumpsters. Assembly members urged the manager to pursue funding and contracting options quickly so the fence can be repaired before fall.
Manager Williams also said the borough is evaluating proposals for landfill surface‑water monitoring and will present an apparent successful proposer to the assembly after evaluation, and that the landfill supervisor and leachate staff are part of that review team.
Fish & Game and assembly speakers framed the problem as both a wildlife‑health issue and a public‑safety concern: consumption of non‑natural items harms bears’ digestive systems and can cause slow, painful deaths; open access to the landfill increases the risk of human–bear encounters for staff and residents.
No formal action (motion or vote) on funding was recorded at the meeting; assembly members asked staff for a near‑term plan and indicated willingness to consider contracting or other resources to expedite repairs.
