As summer visitor numbers start to climb in the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, forest staff are already encountering a serious recurring problem. Garbage and food waste left behind at recreation sites is creating dangerous conditions for both visitors and wildlife, and it’s flat out disgusting.
The U.S. Forest Service warns that unsecured food and refuse draw animals in and accelerate habituation, increasing the risk of negative human and wildlife encounters. Bears, marmots, and other animals are all capable of accessing even a carefully sealed garbage bag left in the open.
Visitors are asked to use available trash cans and dumpsters at developed sites. When cans are full or no waste disposal is provided, all garbage must be packed out. Leaving waste behind is not an option under forest rules.
Forest Order ARP-2024-04, a Bear-Resistant Food Storage Order in effect through May 2029, requires visitors to safely store food and other scented products when not actively cooking or eating. The order applies across developed recreation sites, campgrounds, trailheads, and within 300 feet of open public roads in the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland.
Black bears are found throughout the Arapahoe & Roosevelt National Forests, and the potential for bear-human interactions is considered high. While bears are naturally wary of people, they lose that wariness as they begin to associate human scents with food rewards, a pattern that can ultimately result in the bear’s death.
Visitors can find additional food storage guidance and wildlife safety information at fs.usda.gov/r02/arp.
