A local group formed to fight against what it calls the province’s “trash tax” against cabin and seasonal property owners fears there is a correlation between a recent increase in black bear sightings in or near communities and the garbage collection schedule set for unincorporated areas.

Brett Wareham of Cabin Owners Against Trash Taxes — or COATT — has written Municipal Affairs Minister Derrick Bragg and Premier Andrew Furey outlining his concerns about how cabin and summer home owners must either take their garbage home with them after a weekend on their properties or leave the garbage for days before it finally gets picked up by the Eastern Waste Management Board.

That, says Wareham, is contrary to the provincial government’s own advisory asking people not to leave garbage around and to store garbage inside a shed or garage until pickup so as not to attract bears and other animals.

In his case, unless he decides to take the garbage home with him at the end of the weekend, the garbage won’t be picked up until Wednesday.