The DEC is mulling some new regulations, in an attempt to crack down on the vastly idiotic, yet depressingly widespread, practice of leaving food out where bears can get it. From the Adirondack Daily Enterprise:
The new regulations would ban the feeding of bears everywhere, whether or not it was incidental or intentionally. Exceptions would be allowed only in limited instances for bear research and management purposes.
...The regulation would also apply to incidental feeding of bears, such as with bird feeders, which have been known to attract bears. Homeowners would be in violation of the regulation if they continued to use a bird feeder after being warned by the DEC that it was attracting a bear, [DEC's Gordon] Batcheller said.
When bears get used to a handout, it usually ends badly -- for the bear.
