Report an environmental concern

If you witness an environmental concern, please report it. Reporting a concern helps create a safer, healthier community for us and Whistler’s ecosystems.

Bear sightings

MYTH: If I call the Conservation Officer Service about a bear in my yard, they will just shoot it.

REALITY: Calling the Conservation Officer Service (COS) when you first see a bear in your neighbourhood or yard gives the COS more options to manage the bear. They can use safe aversion techniques to steer the bear clear of homes and attractants like garbage, recycling and barbeques and show the bear that being close to humans is not where it belongs.

If we let bears hang around in our back yards, we send a signal to them that this is normal behaviour. It’s not!

Once a bear gets used to being near people and has found unnatural food sources, it’s really hard to change its behaviour.

The next step is that the bear comes on your porch or tries to enter your home—and then it will be destroyed.

Don’t kill a bear with kindness by letting it hang around your house, and then calling the COS when it comes near your door. If a bear enters a building, the COS is obligated to destroy that bear due to the unacceptable public safety risk.

Report poorly managed wildlife attractants (garbage, recycling, compost or plants) to Bylaw Services at whistler.ca/bylaw or 604-935-8280.

Dangerous wildlife

If you see a bear, cougar, wolf or other dangerous wildlife near a residential area or a trail, contact the BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) at 1-877-952-7277 or 604-905-BEAR. Whistler Conservation Officers are notified daily about sightings and immediately in emergencies.  

The Wildsafe BC Wildlife Alert Reporting Program map provides updates on wildlife sightings and the response of the BC Conservation Officer Service.

Learn more about wildlife safety.

Injured wildlife 

If you encounter an injured wild animal, the first step is always to call the BC SPCA Wildlife in Distress Hotline at 1-855-622-7722 or the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC at 604-526-7275. These organizations will guide you through the next steps in supporting the injured animal.

Injured wildlife in the Sea to Sky corridor typically must be transported to wildlife rehabilitation centres in Vancouver as quickly as possible. As such, if you don’t have a vehicle, it’s a good idea to call/text/post around to find a ride for the animal as soon as possible. The Sea to Sky Injured Wildlife Volunteer Network also might be able to assist with safely capturing and transporting the animal: @seatoskyinjuredwildlife (Facebook and Instagram). 

Poachers

To report a poacher, contact the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277. 

Dangerous wildlife attractants

If you see unsecured garbage or other items that could attract dangerous wildlife, contact Bylaw Services at whistler.ca/bylaw or 604-935-8280.

Species at risk

If you see what you believe to be a species at risk, please submit a report to the BC Conservation Data Centre. You will be asked for details on:

  • exact location;
  • time and date; and
  • species behaviour at the time of the sighting.

Forest fires

Report all forest fires in Whistler by phoning 9-1-1 immediately.

Forest fires outside of Whistler should be reported to the BC Wildfire Service at 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on most cell networks.

Invasive species

Report all sightings of invasive species (plants or animals) to the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council by email ssinvasives@gmail.com or by phone 604-698-8334.

The Environmental Protection Bylaw prohibits the planting of invasive species in Whistler. It also allows the municipality to provide enforceable notice to remove invasive plant species from private land. Learn more about Whistler’s invasive species. 

Steam or lake pollution

If you see pollution or obstruction of a waterway (stream, lake or ditch), please contact our Environmental Stewardship department at stewardship@whistler.ca.

The Environmental Protection Bylaw prohibits the leakage or discharge of a polluting substance into a stream or drainage works.

Illegal dumping

Download the BC Wildlife Federation Conservation App to quickly report an illegal dumping.

Hazardous trees

If you see a hazardous tree, please contact our Parks team at parks@whistler.ca or by phone at 604-935-8335.

If you see a hazardous tree near a public trail, road or facility, please contact our Landscape Maintenance Department at asdf@whistler.ca.

If you have concerns about a hazardous tree on private property, please contact the relevant property owner.

Other environmental concerns

If you have concerns related to an environmental issue, please contact:

Environmental Stewardship
stewardship@whistler.ca