Officials at the state Department of Environmental Conservation are providing guidance to help residents and tourists avoid attracting nuisance black bears.

The DEC said black bears are attracted to human food sources and are tough to recondition once they find a reliable source of food. Department regulations prohibit direct or indirect feeding of bears.

Regional DEC staff said during summer they receive 10 to 15 calls per week about bear sightings.

More information about black bears can be found by calling DEC’s Region 6 wildlife office at 785-2261 or by visiting www.dec.ny.gov.

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