JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. Colorado is no stranger to bears, but lately community members have noticed an increase in bear activity in the places they call home. A new Colorado law went into effect this week, increasing the conseq uences for knowingly placing food or trash in the open to lure a bear.Denver7 has covered Colorado Parks and Wildlife warning of more bear sightings due to the dry winter, as drought can reduce natural food for bears, forcing them to seek food associated with humans.John Livingston, Public Information Officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, confirmed that the numbers show bear activity is up in the state."Everything's above average this year, to say the least. We have seen statewide a 28% increase in calls on August 13th of this year compared to the same date last year. We are already at more than 6,000 total reports to CPW offices around the state this year," Livingston said.In June, Denver7 listened to a hiker describe a bear attacking her on the Enchanted Forest Trail, saying, 'This one was not running away. It kept charging at me. It was circling me.'Oliver Burton has lived in Colorado for over 20 years and has seen the uptick of bear activity in Morrison. "Yeah, sometimes we see trash just sprawled out, and I see the trash people picking up all the litter and everything across the street. So yeah, it definitely is becoming more of a nuisance around here," Burton said.Our station has received several videos from viewers showing just how close bears are in their neighborhoods. Livingston said trash is enticing for bears as they can follow the odor into populated areas."We know trash continues to be the number one attractant that leads to property damage or human-bear conflict in the state, but we also see things all the time, like bird feeders or pet food that's left outside, things like that, also contributing to a lot of conflict. But certainly trash around the state continues to be the leading attractant," Livingston said. Watch Maggy Wolanske's report in the video below: New Colorado law criminalizes leaving food, trash for bearsLivingston explained that existing law makes it illegal to feed bears intentionally. Still, this new legislation changes the mental state from intentionally placing food to knowingly placing food to attract a bear, instead of a warning, which has now been changed to a misdemeanor charge."Importantly, with this new legislation, it got rid of the requirement for officers to provide a warning on the first offense," explained Livingston. "So if there's some really egregious stuff out there, officers now can cite people on that first offense without having to issue a warning." Livingston explained any peace officer in the state of Colorado can enforce this law, and they have been working with sheriff's offices around the state.When it comes to avoiding bear activity on your property, Livingston recommends leaving garbage in the garage or shed, or having a bear-resistant trash container with a latch.Over at the Mountain Resource Center in Conifer, the nonprofit knows that bears are attracted to the food it provides to neighbors in need. There is even an outdoor fridge on the property that allows community members to access food when the pantry is closed."We cannot always be open, and the other thing about the community fridge is that it is for everyone. Sometimes people don't feel great about accepting help, and the community fridge is a very discreet way to go and get a little extra food for your kids or your family," Shellie Logan, Mountain Resource Center Community Health Manager, said.Logan explained they were to find a creative solution thanks to a local Girl Scout troop that designed and built a cage to go around the fridge with a latch."We asked the Girl Scouts, 'Hey, help us come up with a solution. We want to put something other than just milk in this fridge.' People need all the food groups, and the other food groups tend to attract bears more because they smell really good," Logan said. ...read more read less