ILWACO — For the second time this decade, Doris Berryhill-Parks, 76, of Ilwaco’s Sahalee neighborhood is accused of intentionally feeding black bears, a misdemeanor under Washington state law punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

It is an illegal hobby that seven years ago resulted in five semi-domesticated Sahalee bears having to be killed and two others relocated. Another was euthanized this summer. There may be more to come.

Berryhill-Parks was arraigned on the most recent charge on Dec. 16 in front of Pacific County South District Court Judge Nancy McAllister. She entered a plea of not guilty. She did not have an attorney but told the judge she will be hiring a private one. Parks’ next court appearance is set for Jan. 27, 2021, with a tentative trial date of March 11.

2013-14 issues

Berryhill-Parks previously stood trial on Oct. 15, 2014, for the same charge. After five hours of testimony and strenuous cross examination, her attorney, Aberdeen-based Orlando Tadique, struck a deal in court resulting in a stipulated order of continuance. Berryhill-Parks was ordered to pay a $500 fine and to refrain from feeding any wild animals for two years. The formal charge was shelved, providing she lived up to the deal.

This outcome was interpreted at the time to be an admission by Parks to the facts of the case, but a recognition by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife that their evidence perhaps didn’t rise to the required legal standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

According to neighbors, Berryhill-Parks for at least two years appeared to refrain from feeding the large flock of crows and dozens of raccoons that previously haunted her property. But about five years after her trial, bears again began converging on her house. WDFW officers also continued surveillance of Parks’ residence through the years following her original charge.

“On one of these checks, I contacted Parks, and she advised she was feeding squirrels, birds, and chipmunks on her back porch,” WDFW Officer Paul Jacobsen wrote in a report included in the court documents. “She denied intentionally feeding any bears but said they still come by. She stated she believed the squirrel and bird food was dropping down to the lower deck, and it may attract some bears.”

Allegedly back at it

WDFW was notified by a concerned Ilwaco citizen around Sept. 1, 2019, that Berryhill-Parks was again feeding bears.

“I was contacted by a resident on Sahalee Hill in Ilwaco,” Jacobsen wrote. “He stated the bear lady was feeding bears … he identified the house where the lady lives, and I recognized it as the location of where [Berryhill-Parks] lives. He stated he was worried about the safety of children and others who walk in the area.”

Additionally, a member of the Ilwaco city government, Stephanie Davis, also voiced concerns about the issue.

On Sept. 14, 2019, Jacobsen began surveillance on Berryhill-Parks’ residence on one of four separate occasions that also included Sept. 23-24, 2019, and once more on Oct. 7, 2019. On his first visit, he observed four bears walk into and away from her yard — a large male, a large female and two cubs.

“On each [subsequent] occasion, I observed up to five bears enter and leave the back deck area,” Jacobsen wrote in the same report. “I observed three adult bears and two yearling cubs. The bears were extremely fat and not what a normal bear would look like.”

Another resident contacted the WDFW and stated, “this morning there were four bears present [on the 2100 block of Hiaqua Place] in Ilwaco. Last evening we observed a yearling cub and later a large [male]. I know this has been a problem in the past… I have many pictures from our security cameras from this spring. During the last week, it has been an every morning and evening event.”

He went on to say, “These folks are no better than poachers and deserve to be treated in the same manner… I can identify at least five different bears that are showing up and they may all end up needing to be destroyed. What a shame.”

Ringing a similar bell, another resident contacted WDFW and voiced concern, as noted in court documents. “I phoned [the witness] and spoke with her. She stated there are bears all around her residence. She stated that she is afraid for her elderly parents, who also use the home. She stated her father comes and goes late, and she is terrified he will encounter the large male bear that frequents their driveway, yard and deck.”

Stench and flies

On June 20, 2020, Jacobsen contacted Berryhill-Parks at her residence and observed several raccoons coming and going from under her house. When he approached the home, he smelled an unpleasant odor and observed flies coming from the front door. Fearing for Berryhill-Parks’ safety, he reached out to another agency to request a safety check.

“I contacted Adult Protective Services, and on June 29, 2020, we went to Parks’ residence and met with her in the driveway,” Jacobsen wrote. “Parks was with her cousin, who stated he lived with [her]. [He] stated Parks was still feeding bears, and he advised her to stop, but that she refuses and she is her own person and does what she wants.”

Jacobsen continued, “[He] appeared to be nervous about cooperating. I also spoke with Parks, who stated she knew her feeding activities were attracting bears… Parks stated she felt the bears were not a threat and her neighbors were mean people for trying to get the activity to stop.”

Habituated bears are dangerous

According to Jacobsen and wildlife expert WDFW Wildlife Biologist Scott Harris, “bears that are accustomed to being fed by people lose their natural fear and are very dangerous.”

Black bear attacks on humans are rare but arouse the public’s concern and raise issues of legal liability for the state. The last reported fatality from a bear in Washington was in 1974. In September 2010, Bellevue City Councilor John Chelminiak was severely mauled by a female black bear in the driveway of his Lake Wenatchee vacation house. He lost an eye in the attack.

“Feeding squirrels and raccoons alone would not attract and hold the number of bear observed,” Harris stated. “Given that this is occurring during a time of year when bears are in hyperphagia is [a] further indication of a substantial food source. During hyperphagia, bears are driven to eat consistently to gain weight for hibernation. This will normally require a bear to travel continually in search of food.”

Harris continued, “given the area and history of the homeowner feeding bears, I am confident she is supplying an unnatural food source that is attracting and holding these bears. This food source will [habituate] bear to food provided by humans and can delay or alter natural hibernation patterns of bears. This activity presents a public safety concern and property damage [concern] and a concern for the bears involved. Bears that become habituated to human-provided food and food-conditioned to humans can pose a significant risk to the public and once identified will often require euthanization.”

Bear trapped in August

WDFW trapped a bear near Berryhill-Parks’ home on Aug. 26, WDFW Capt. Dan Chadwick said. The adult bear was euthanized because it was habituated to human contact. A neighbor said that he walked up to the trapped bear, and it acted more like a pet hoping for a treat rather than displaying wild behavior. Resumed trapping is planned when and if other bears begin roaming the neighborhood.

“What we have done with any of these bears previously when we have trapped multiple bears, we have taken a look at them [with our biologist] and decided whether or not we take a chance,” Chadwick said. “If they are young enough, our biologist will take a look at them, assess them, and decide whether or not we want to give [releasing it in a wilder location] a try. [But] after two years old and in a situation like this where have known that they have been habituated and have been coming to a human food source like this, [we have to] euthanize the animal.”

He continued, “We are not going to change their behavior by taking them out in the woods. They are going to try and come back. We have seen it time and time again where bears get themselves right back into trouble again. The public safety aspect of it is too great to relocate a known habituated bear.”

‘It’s frustrating’

Chadwick said he and other WDFW officers and officials are personally upset that they are back in this scenario. He said they each take pride in protecting the wildlife of Washington state. It is disappointing when someone interferes with natural order and animals have to be euthanized as a result, he said.

“It’s frustrating that we are back here again with this same individual,” Chadwick said. “Hopefully, the second time through the court system is the charm. We hope that we aren’t back a third time. It is serious business, and these are large wild carnivores that you cannot trust. There is plenty of food for them to eat out in the woods. So [no one] needs to be feeding them and creating this public safety risk.”