by John Kruse, July 10, 2020

Back in 2017 the U.S. Department of Interior rolled out a draft Environmental Impact Statement to the public, seeking comment on the idea of physically reintroducing grizzly bears back into remote portions of the North Cascades in Washington State. Several meetings were held from 2017 through 2019 where biologists and other staff members from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service answered questions and allowed attendees to provide written comments for or against the plan.

Grizzly bears did once live in places like the Pasayten Wilderness Area and North Cascades National Park but according to the National Park Service, no grizzly bears have been seen in this region since 1996. Between 2010 and 2012 efforts were made to find evidence of grizzlies in the area but no confirmed evidence of their presence was found.

The Environmental Impact Statement envisioned several options ranging from no reintroduction (with hopes grizzly bears in Southern British Columbia would naturally migrate to the region over time) to proposals calling for 10 to 25 or even 200 grizzly bears to be released into the United States portion of the North Cascades Ecosystem over a five year span.

Many people (up to 80 percent according to Conservation Northwest) commented that they did want to see grizzly bears physically returned to the region. However, many residents in North Central Washington, especially orchardists and ranchers (who owned fruit trees and livestock that would draw in grizzly bears) were opposed, as were regional county commissions in Chelan and Okanogan County.

Another concern was how far these bears could roam. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, a male grizzly bear has a home range of 200 to 500 miles. Even under best case scenarios maps at one public meeting showed the potential range of transplanted grizzlies in the far northern reaches of the Cascades going all the way to Snoqualmie Pass and Interstate 90. With hordes of hikers and campers in the Central Cascades recreating in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and adjacent National Forest lands, it seems clear grizzly bear interactions with humans (to includes attacks) would be likely to occur as they have in Montana and Wyoming in recent years.

On July 7th, during a roundtable meeting with local government officials and stakeholders in Omak, Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced his agency was abandoning plans to reintroduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades. US Representative Dan Newhouse from Pasco attended this meeting. In a press release he applauded the decision stating,

“Homeowners, farmers, ranchers, and small business owners in our rural communities were loud and clear: We do not want grizzly bears in North Central Washington. I have long advocated that local voices must be heard by the federal government on this issue, and I am enormously grateful to Secretary Bernhardt for not only listening to our concerns and opinions, but for delivering this news in person, right here in North Central Washington.”

Others, however, expressed disappointment. Chase Gunnell, Communications Director for Conservation Northwest, supported the reintroduction of grizzlies into Washington State. In response to Secretary Bernhardt’s announcement he said,

“Despite today’s news from the Trump Administration’s Secretary of the Interior, we believe grizzly bears will eventually be restored to the wild backcountry of the North Cascades, their home for thousands of years, as action is legally required under the Endangered Species Act and federal grizzly bear recovery plans, and public support for restoring this native species remains strong.”

As for the grizzly bears, for now, they’ll have to get to the North Cascades on their own four legs. However, depending on who comes out on top as President in November, and what may or may not happen in the courts if lawsuits are filed, this issue could be on the table again soon.

John Kruse – www.northwesternoutdoors.com and www.americaoutdoorsradio.com





PHOTO CREDITS:

A grizzly sow and her cubs in Glacier National Park – Photo credit US Natl. Park Svc.
An adult grizzly bear – Photo courtesy US NPS