PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The U.S. Forest Service is warning anyone heading to the Sandy River Delta that bears have been sighted in the area recently.
According to a Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Facebook post, a few bears have been seen and the public is asked to take precautions.
The U.S. Forest Service said people should not hike alone, carry bear spray, keep their dogs close and not bring food to the Delta with them.
Anyone who does bring food should store it in bear-proof containers.
If someone encounters a bear, they should not run away, they should avoid eye contact, they should appear large and make loud noises.
In case of a bear attack, the Forest Service said people should use sticks or rocks to fight back.
The sightings were brought to the Forest Service’s attention second-hand, so they don’t have a lot of information about specifically where the bears were seen. They said they posted the warning to social media simply as a precaution so that anyone who came across a bear in the area wouldn’t be surprised.
“We have bears throughout the gorge, but since this is so close to an urban area I wanted to keep people informed,” Karen Davis, the U.S. Forest service’s public affairs officer for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, wrote in an email to KOIN 6 News.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said it’s aware of the bear issues at the Sandy River Delta and has been in touch with the Forest Service, Department of State Lands and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
ODFW provided bear sighting flyers to be posted in the area last week along with information on removing things that attract bears.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed it’s aware of a bear in the Sandy River Delta and encourages people to follow the recommended precautions that the Forest Service shared.