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BILTMORE FOREST, N.C. (WLOS) — Biltmore Forest has a new law to keep residents from feeding bears.

An ordinance created last month prohibits feeding wildlife that could pose a threat to property and people.

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Commissioners voted after police were called to a house where the residents were intentionally leaving food out for bears.

The officers asked them to stop.

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“We realized that we didn’t have a specific ordinance in the town ordinances related to that,” Biltmore Forest Town Manager Jonathan Kanipe said. “And there’s no state law prohibiting it. So, we really wanted just to have something in place that we could fall back upon when we were asking people not to do that.”

Kanipe said Asheville and Buncombe County have ordinances like this in place.