News

State sets hearing Wednesday on Buncombe bear-feeding rule

By Lightning Reports, Published: October 18, 2026

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will hold a public hearing this week on its proposed temporary rule prohibiting feeding and attracting bears in Buncombe County, the site of 271 reports of people feeling threatened by bears since May 1.

The state regulators will convene the meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Ferguson Auditorium, 19 Tech Drive, Asheville. Questions may be submitted in advance online and will be addressed at the start of the meeting.

A public comment period is open through Nov. 6, 2026. Comments may be submitted online, via email (please include name, county, and state of residence) or mailed to: Rulemaking Coordinator, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1701.

An emergency rule with the identical language as the temporary rule goes into effect for Buncombe County on Monday, Oct. 19. NCWRC may adopt an emergency rule without prior notice or public hearing when immediate adoption is required by a serious and unforeseen threat to public health or safety. The agency must concurrently initiate temporary rulemaking. State Wildlife Commissioners adopted the emergency rule prohibiting bear feeding in Buncombe County during its Oct. 1 Commission meeting and voted to begin the process of enacting an identical temporary rule.

“Wildlife Law Enforcement Officers do not have jurisdiction to enforce Asheville, Black Mountain or Buncombe County ordinances related to feeding wildlife,” said Lt. Anna Barbosa, public information officer for the Law Enforcement Division. “This rule standardizes enforcement of bear feeding prohibitions across jurisdictions, enabling wildlife officers to use similar provisions as our partner agencies when responding to calls.”

NCWRC is proposing this new rule due to a significant increase in bears entering dwellings, especially occupied dwellings. Sixty-four percent of all forced entries since 2023 have occurred in the last five months. In August, a bear entered an occupied home in North Asheville, injuring a person inside. The agency received 836 black bear interaction reports in Buncombe County from May 1 to September 30, 2026. Buncombe County comprises 43% of all bear reports the agency has received statewide during this time frame. These include:

• 271 reports of people feeling threatened by bears
• 30 reports of a bear posing a real threat to people
• 71 reports of bears entering homes
• 31 reports of humans feeding bears
• 14 reports of bears consuming pet food
• 5 pets killed and 2 injured by bears
• 2 reports of residents injured, including a resident requiring medical attention at the hospital after a bear entered her home. 

NCWRC Board of Commissioners will review public comments and consider adoption of the temporary rule at its December 2026 meeting.