Two adult bears and one cub that have been rummaging through garbage cans in a Central Oregon campground prompted U.S. Forest Service officials Friday to close the area until further notice.

Perry South Campground at Lake Billy Chinook is off-limits to visitors and campers while Forest Service personnel install bear-proof trash cans, pick up all trash in the area and wash fish-cleaning stations, said Sue Olson, a spokeswoman for Deschutes National Forest.

She said that, in the six years she has been with the agency, local forest service campgrounds have never been closed because of bears.

“I haven’t heard of them being a problem here in our campgrounds on the Deschutes,” Olson said. “It’s very typical of national parks but not as common in the forest. But it is their territory, so we shouldn’t be surprised.”

In the summer of 2002, bears became such a problem breaking into tents and cars to retrieve human food and harassing campers in and around campsites at Newberry Volcanic National Monument that officials trapped and killed four bears.

Olson said campers at the Perry South Campground reported the bears, which have shown no aggression toward humans, to camp hosts, who passed the information along to the Forest Service.

“Of course, the cub raises the bar as far as precaution goes because a mother with her cub may be a bit more aggressive,” she said.

After the bear-proofing measures have been put in place, the campground will be monitored before it is re-opened to make sure the bears do not return, Olson said.

Visitors interested in camping near the lake can check availability at The Cove Palisades State Park online or through Reservations Northwest.

Camping options at Lake Billy Chinook

Reservations for cabins, full hookup, electrical and tent sites at The Cove Palisades State Park can be made through Reservations Northwest by calling 800-452-5687 or online at www.oregonstateparks.org.

Bear safety tips

• Make bears aware of your presence on trails by making loud noises such as shouting or singing.

• Hike in groups.

• Do not hike after dark.

• Avoid carcasses; bears often defend this source of food.

• If you encounter a bear, do not run. Bears can run faster than 30 mph, or 44 feet per second. Running may prompt an attack from otherwise nonaggressive bears.

• If a bear is aware of you but has not acted aggressively, slowly back away.

• All black bears can climb trees. Running to a tree may provoke an otherwise uncertain bear to chase you.

• Some bears will bluff their way out of a threatening situation by charging, then veering off or stopping abruptly at the last second. Bear experts generally recommend standing still until the bear stops and then slowly backing away.

• If a bear makes physical contact, drop to the ground, lie face down and clasp your hands behind your neck. Lie still and remain silent. Resistance will only provoke the bear.

Source: National Park Service