Buncombe County's animal code has no general wildlife-feeding ban, but it prohibits keeping wild animals (Sec. 6-61). In bear-heavy western NC, the state Wildlife Resources Commission rule (15A NCAC 10B .0202) bars intentionally feeding or placing food that attracts bears and causes damage or a safety risk.
The county code does not set a standalone anti-feeding ordinance for songbirds or backyard wildlife, but Sec. 6-61 makes it unlawful to keep, maintain, or possess any wild or exotic animal, and harboring wildlife can implicate that prohibition. Because Buncombe County and Asheville are a black-bear hotspot, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission adopted a rule (15A NCAC 10B .0202) making it unlawful to intentionally feed bears or place any food, garbage, or attractant that draws a bear and results in property damage, a public-safety issue, or a threat to the animal. Enforcement is by state wildlife officers, not county animal control. Residents should secure garbage, bird feeders, and pet food.
State bear-feeding violations (15A NCAC 10B .0202) carry escalating fines starting around $50 and rising by roughly $50 per additional offense up to $500, enforced by NC Wildlife Resources Commission officers. Keeping a wild animal under county Sec. 6-61 is
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