Oregon Public Broadcasting

A Yachats woman who routinely fed fourteen black bears on her property has been convicted of a Class A misdemeanor for harassing wildlife.  Pete Springer reports.

During the trial, Oregon State Police testified that Karen Noyes told them she had spent $100,000 feeding bears on her property over the last several years.

Noyes says she was just doing “a little diversional, supplemental feeding” of the bears and says her trial was unfair.

Wildlife officials say they asked Noyes to stop feeding the bears on several occasions before citing and charging her with harassing wildlife.

Michelle Dennehy is with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Michelle Dennehy: “The DA argued that because she was feeding them, she had altered their natural behaviors including their feeding habits and their wariness of people.”

Dennehy says once black bears become conditioned to human food, they are more likely to be involved in non-fatal attacks on humans. 

Noyes disagrees with that and maintains that habituated bears are safer than wild bears.

Her sentencing is set for later this month.  The maximum penalty is one year in jail and a fine of more than $6000.