Florida is spending more than $500,000 on equipping communities with bear-resistant trash cans and other equipment at a discounted cost.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced on Friday that 10 communities throughout the state had received money specifically for bear mitigation.
State officials say that unsecured trash is the main reason that Florida black bears enter neighborhoods and come into conflict with people.
A top official with the commission said earlier this year that there are more than 4,000 black bears statewide. There has been a 53 percent increase over 15 years.
In 2015, hunters killed 304 bears in the state’s hunt.
Wildlife officials decided earlier this year to postpone the next hunt until at least 2019.