The march of the bears is upon us again,” writes Post blogger Michael Conniff, “and this time the bears are not to blame. They’re hungry: we all know that, and yet repeat offenders are put to death. In response, Aspen City Council deemed in March 2009 that wildlife-resistant trash cans would be not only the norm but the requirement. But here’s the problem: the requirement by the City of Aspen has been all but ignored by all but a few of the citizenry.
The result? The bears will be back in Aspen going after the trash and either the City or the citizens are to blame. Here’s another problem: bear-resistant trash cans can cost $350, a small fortune for a garbage receptacle. And local stores boasting bear-resistant trash cans are selling receptacles that even a good-sized human could tear to pieces.”