New Bear Regulations for parts of the Appalachian Trial
This year as of March 1st there will be new regulations for parts of the Chattahoochee National Forest Appalachian Trail. Hikers will now be required to carry special containers designed to hold food and other items so as to not attract bears. According to government authorities that are in charge of such things, there has been a recent increase in activities between bears and humans in this area the trail. They say they want to get the new regulations in place because springtime is especially troublesome as the food supply for the bears is limited.
Picture yourself hiking along the trail there with a satchel of food on your back and a bunch of hungry bears waking up from the winter nap. Kind of reminds me of fishing and I’m the bait! Being a safety conscious individual I would recommend anyone hiking in the national parks or smoky mountain regions that plan on being gone overnight to purchase and use one of these very resistant storage containers. Just think of it as a comfortable pillow! You know you’re going to sleep much better eh?
In the past, it has been traditional to store food using something called airbag or hanging food bags up in trees. New regulations will prohibit this method. This method is not always effective keeping the Bears from retrieving the food and certainly does not keep them from being attracted to the area in which you are in.
For more information on the exact location the new regulations effect, you can go to their website at www.fs.usda.gov/confs or contact the Blue Ridge Rangers district office at area code 706-745 – 6928.