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From YouTube: A Boulder View - Bears & Mountain Lions - May, 2011
Description
A Boulder View - May 2011. Jody Jacobson interviews Valerie Matheson about the City of Boulder's role in managing bears and mountain lion activity in the city.
A
Welcome
back
to
boulder
view
joining
us
today
is
the
city's
urban
wildlife
coordinator,
Val
Matheson
Val's
here
to
talk
to
us
about,
bears
and
mountain
lions
in
and
around
the
city
limits,
and
what
the
city's
role
is
to
help
manage
that,
thanks
for
being
here
today,
Val
happy
to
be
here
so
I
think
it's
no
surprise
to
most
people
that
living
this
close
to
the
foothills.
We
see
a
lot
more
large
animal
interactions
and
it
being
spring
we're
probably
going
to
start
hearing
a
lot
more
about
sightings
for
bears
and
mountain
lions.
I
know.
A
B
We
went
to
City
Council
because
we're
in
the
process
of
developing
the
barren
mountain
lion
management
plan.
It's
part
of
the
urban
wildlife
management
plan,
it's
one
chapter
of
it
and
we're
at
the
middle
phase.
So
we've
already.
The
first
phase
was
identifying
issues
which
we
did
last
year
and
now
we're
working
on
the
analysis.
Or
what
can
we
do
about
those
issues
and
that's
why
we
went
to
council
to
get
some
feedback
and
direction
on
what
we
can
do
with
this
urban
wildlife
management
plan.
So.
B
A
B
It
I'm
it's,
you
know,
basically,
the
the
mammals
we
see
in
town
and
it
ranges
from
the
large
bears
and
mountain
lions
and
dear
to
raccoons
and
fox
and
things
we
see
in
town,
and
we
have
an
urban
wildlife
management
plan.
That
vision
was
identified
or
accepted
by
council
back
in
2006,
one
component,
which
was
prairie
dogs,
and
so
now
we're
going
to
develop
the
rest
of
the
plan
based
on
what's
happening
in
the
city
and
our
highest
priorities,
which
right
now
is
black,
bear
mountain
lions.
B
Know
we
don't
know,
and
after
we
have
this
developed,
there's
talk
dear,
have
been
a
challenge,
a
safety
issue
and
may
be
something
we
could
think
about.
More
broadly
or
other
municipalities
are
developing
coyote
management
plans.
So
we're
not
really
sure
what
the
next
plan
is.
We're
just
sort
of
working
on
our
timeline
for
for
blackberry,
mountain
lion.
Now
so.
A
B
So
what
we
really
identified
as
issues
for
you
know
that
different
for
black
bear.
It
is
one
there
they
have
a
history
of
getting
in
trash
in
the
city
of
Boulder
and
it
since
2003
we've
had
about
six
black
bear
destroyed
in
the
city
and
about
12
relocated,
and
we
we
know
that
bear
getting
into
trash
constantly.
So
what
we're
trying
to
do
with
bear
is
think
about.
Why
are
they
in
town?
What
are
they
getting
into?
And
how
can
we
be
better
stewards,
or
what
can
we
do?
B
A
B
Know
it's
a
lot
of
different
things.
I
think
in
what
we're
really
working
with
here
is
a
community
value
you
that
Boulder,
the
residents
of
Boulder
value
wildlife
and
they
don't
want
harm
to
come
to
wildlife.
So
there's
one
aspect
that
it's
not
good
for
bears
to
be
eating
trash
and
we
find
aluminum,
foil
and
cellophane
in
scat
or
you
know,
that's
left
behind.
B
We
don't
want
them
sick,
we
also
don't
want
them
destroyed
and
if
the
Division
of
Wildlife
determines
that
a
bear
is
a
nuisance
or
a
public
safety
concern,
it
can
be
destroyed
and
though
they
work
very
hard
for
that
not
to
happen
in
the
city.
That's
an
issue.
We
also
don't
want
trash
sprayed
around
and
we
don't
want
the
potential
for
public
safety
to
be
compromised
because
of
these
big
mammals
being
in
town.
So
there's
there's
a
lot
of
reasons
why
it's
not
a
good
idea
to
have
them
in
town,
so.
A
B
Know
so
so
it's
I
can't
really
speak
to
you
know
the
divisions
policies,
but
they
do,
they
will
ear
tag
a
bear.
That's
been
a
problem
and
relocated,
and
if
that
bear
comes
back
or
is
again
an
issue,
it
will
be
destroyed
and
I
know,
there's
a
variety,
a
variety
of
tools
in
their
toolbox
as
to
how
they
will
address
or
work
with
an
animal.
That's
a
nuisance
or
a
public
safety
concern,
but
in
general
you
know,
we
sort
of
think
when
a
barrister
relocated
that
you
know
oh
great,
it
was.
B
A
B
It's
a
really
good
point,
because
it's
confusing-
and
we
say
the
city
is
working
on
a
wildlife
management
plan
and
it's
an
important
point
that
the
division
of
wildlife
is
responsible
for
actually
managing
directly
managing
those
animals,
so
you're
completely
right,
they're,
the
ones
that
do
the
relocation,
what
the
city's
role
is
and
I
would
say.
Also
the
community's
role
is,
is
trying
to
think
about.
How
can
we
avoid
these
potential
conflicts?
What
can
we
do
before
anything
happens?
That
makes
a
conflict
less
likely
and
that's
really
what
this
plan
is
about?
B
How
can
we
manage
our
trash
better
for
bear,
but
for
mountain
lion?
Something
that's
come
up.
Is
you
know
people
are
surprised
or
say
if
I'd
known
that
a
mountain
lion
would
come
into
my
backyard
on
sixth
Street
and
take
my
small
dog,
I
wouldn't
have
gotten
a
small
dog,
and
so
there's
definitely
need
for
more
information
and
awareness
so
that
people
understand
that
these
animals
are
in
town
and
what
the
impacts
of
having
them
are
right.
A
B
B
I
mean
that's
one
of
them:
it
we
assume
for
the
most
part
they're
coming
in
town
for
prey,
but
there
are
other
urban
features
that
are
also
inviting
to
mountain
lions.
You
know
we
live
in
an
arid
environment
and
a
lot
of
backyards
have
water
features
like
pawns
and
and
waterfalls,
and
so
resources
that
might
be
more
hard
to
come
by
in
general
and
natural
areas
might
be
easy
to
come
by
in
a
backyard.
B
So
primarily
deer
is
what
they're
eating,
but
raccoons
fox
pets
like
cats
and
dogs,
prey
in
general
and
and
they're
also
they're
opportunistic.
So
there
you
know,
there's
been
a
great
study
with
the
division
of
wildlife,
coloring
them
and
we
are
getting
a
little
bit
more
information
about
what
they're
doing,
but
generally
lions
are
spending
most
of
their
time
in
natural
areas
and
then
sort
of
doing
a
swoop
through
town,
and
if
there's
you
know
water
or
pets
or
a
deer
and
then
right
spot
at
the
right
time,
build
they'll.
Take
advantage
of
that.
B
B
But
we
do
see
more
with
bear
set,
will
have
a
bear
that
will
be
coming
down
in
the
season
and
keep
coming
down
and
keep
coming
down
and
once
they're
rewarded
it's
harder,
particularly
in
years
where
there's
not
a
lot
of
food
and
the
natural
area
is
to
get
the
bear
to
go
back
and
rain
forage
and
natural
habitat.
So.
A
It
it
also
seems
like
I
guess,
from
what
I
heard
with
community
members
who
are
speaking
at
the
glass
council
meeting
there.
There
seems
to
be
more
fear
around
the
mountain
lion
and
I.
Don't
know
if
that's
warranted
or
not
in
your
opinion,
but
people
seem
to
fear
an
attack
from
a
mount
line
more
than
they
do
from
a
bear.
And
that's
just
my
perception.
I
don't
know
if
that's
true.
B
That
seems
to
be
the
case.
It
seems
that
there's
a
lot
more
fear
associated
with
lions,
then
with
bears,
although
there
have
been,
I
think
two
people
in
colorado
killed
by
mountain
lions
and
a
similar
number,
maybe
even
one
more
same
ballpark
by
bear,
there's,
certainly
a
perception.
I
think,
though,
that
lions,
because
they're
predators
and
they
prey
on
on
animals,
that
it
could
be
the
their
two-year-old
next
and
that's
certainly
a
possibility.
The
chance
is
really
miniscule.
It's
really
rare
that
lions
prey
on
on
people,
but
but
it's
it's
possible
so.
B
Going
on
I
mean
that's
one.
One
aspect
that
came
up
in
the
issues
is
that
people
do
want
more
information
and
the
Division
of
Wildlife
and
the
city
has
a
huge
education
effort
in
talking
to
school
groups
and
kids
and
adult
groups
about
line
and
bear
biology
and
what
to
do,
if
you
see
one
and
how
to
make
your
home
more
safe.
B
So
both
departments
are
very
active
in
education,
something
that
we
identified
in
the
issues
in
developing
this
plan
is
we
could
do
more
with
getting
that
information
out
to
people
in
the
form
of
a
website
or
in
an
outreach
just
so
that
people
aren't
surprised
that
a
lion
was
sighted
at
iris
and
30th,
or
some
of
these
areas
that
there's
I
think
a
perception
that
they're
kind
of
stand
to
the
west,
where
really
they
are
moving
through
the
city.
So.
B
Are
working
on
it
that
we
have
a
website?
That's
ww,
boulder
wildlife
plan
net,
where
we
are
now
putting
up
some
of
that
information
on
the
division
worked
on.
Bear
and
lion
frequently
asked
questions
about,
bears
and
lions
and
boulder
that
we
have
posted
as
well
as
a
map
of
activity,
and
that's
really
where
our
point
of
information
is
going
to
be
or
resource,
but
we're
once
our
plan
is
done,
will
develop
that
a
little
bit
more
okay.
Well,.