Proposals to return Grizzly bears to the North Cascades
Saturday, September 30, 2023
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| Grizzly bears. Photo courtesy National Park Service |
Grizzly bears would return to the state's North Cascades under proposals two federal agencies put forward Thursday.
Reintroducing the bears into the rugged area has been studied and debated for over two decades, with a previous effort falling apart during the Trump years.
The latest plan -- still in draft form -- includes two options that would both involve introducing about three to seven bears a year until grizzly numbers in the region rebound to 25 bears.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service are asking the public for input on their plan. While wildlife advocates were pleased to see fresh movement toward bringing the bears back, the plan is sure to draw criticism. One Republican congressman from Washington has already weighed in against it.
There are about 2,000 grizzly bears spread across pockets of the West outside of Alaska.
In the 19th century, there were an estimated 50,000 in the U.S. But their numbers dropped into the hundreds by the 1930s. They were listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1975 and retain that designation in the lower 48 states.
Public comment on the latest North Cascades grizzly bear plans is open until Nov. 13. More information on the proposal can be found here.
In the 19th century, there were an estimated 50,000 in the U.S. But their numbers dropped into the hundreds by the 1930s. They were listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1975 and retain that designation in the lower 48 states.
Public comment on the latest North Cascades grizzly bear plans is open until Nov. 13. More information on the proposal can be found here.
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5 comments:
Thank you for the link. I absolutely oppose putting grizzlies in the north Cascades. I've been to grizzly country many times and no one there would get behind adding that threat to any area that is currently without them. They are awesome to behold, they are also extremely dangerous in the wrong situation. They are nowhere close to extinct and they do not need to come here and displace the black bear population or disturb other native wildlife that has no idea how to acclimate to this threat. No.
Previous comment- the same could be said about humans
Grizzlies were here for, as land acknowledgments phrase it, time immemorial. Our native habitats will do better with than without them. They're a human-made gap in our ecosystem. Pro or con for other reasons, you needn't worry for the acclimation of our area wildlife.
fun idea - restrict where humans can build house,, drive cars, cut down trees to improve the view, drink bottled water from plastic bottles, pave whatever to reduce the dirt that come in on their shoes, shall I keep going?
If we're going to restore extirpated predators to our wild lands, why not reintroduce lions to Washington? No, not cougars, but pantherine lions, similar to their extant African cousins except 25% larger. They lived here for hundreds of thousands of years before Native Americans wiped them out. Let's release a few prides that have been observed to be cold-tolerant and see what happens.
How would you feel about hearing stories where a family hiking up to Cascade Pass found themselves surrounded by a pride of aggressive lions, and only their bones and shredded packs were found by S&R?
There is no need to do this with bears either. Grizzly bears have connected habitat from the Rocky Mountains through Canada to the Coast Range, which then leads south to the North Cascades. There's minimal civilization and minimal highway crossings. Let them find their way here again naturally if they are inclined to do so. If they don't, leave them be.
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