Denville Township has secured a state grant for 526 bear-resistant garbage cans, with the first cans expected to reach residents later this summer.
The Township announced that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection awarded the grant based on reported bear activity. That criteria steered the first phase to neighborhoods north of Route 46, including Cedar Lake, Rock Ridge, Lake Arrowhead and the Upper Kitchell Road area.
The cans will be handed out at a distribution event, and several conditions apply. Residents must show proof that they live in the Cedar Lake, Rock Ridge, Lake Arrowhead or Upper Kitchell Road area or an adjacent street. They also need a valid email address, because accepting a can requires completing periodic NJDEP surveys. It is one can per household, and cans go out on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservations. Proof of residence will be verified on the day and afterward.
A delivery date has not been set. Based on early estimates, the Township expects the cans to arrive in mid to late July or possibly early August, and the distribution event will follow once they land.
Officials called this the first phase and said Denville plans to apply for more bear-resistant cans for these neighborhoods and others in future years.
It is one of several updates for residents heading into a busy local summer that also includes the July 4 fireworks and concert at Gardner Field. Residents in the eligible areas should watch the Township website and its social media for the date, time and location of the pickup event and other community news.
