The National Park Service and U.S. In 2017, agencies received more than 126,000 public comments. A previous restoration effort was started and stopped twice between 2017 and 2020. Grizzly bears are not in danger of extinction, and Interior will continue to build on its conservation successes managing healthy grizzly bear populations across their existing range., This announcement is welcomed by my constituents in Central Washington who have consistently shared my same concerns about introducing an apex predator into the North Cascades,said U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (WA-04). Published: September 27, 2019 The deadline to comment is October 24th, 2019. Kate McFarland, TRI Deputy Director Defenders is contributing to the effort to reintroduce fishers and grizzly bears to the North Cascades. 6 The caves also show a number of scratch marks thought to have been made by the claws of bears. We favor minimizing disturbance to and intervention in the Wilderness and conserving and restoring its whole native biota. The Department began planning the environmental review process for an updated Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan for the North Cascades Ecosystem in February 2015 under the Obama Administration without comprehensive public involvement and engagement. The fearsome grizzly bear attracted a lot of attention and response last week in a column by Mariel Garza about a proposal to reintroduce the brown bear to the Golden State. Alternative C strikes a sound balance to meet the mutual goals of grizzly bear restoration and the needs of the people who depend on the natural areas in the recovery zone. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The only problem with this plan is that it would really mean introducing bears to the only parts of CA that don't suckthe rural areas where people are generally not insane. What we need is a grizzly nursery. In rural Washington, some opponents of the grizzly bear reintroduction program include ranchers, who worry the predator will pose a threat to their livestock. My constituents and I have consistently opposed proposals to do so under multiple administrations because introducing an apex predator to the area would threaten the families, wildlife, and livestock of North Central Washington, Newhouse said in a statement Thursday. Fish & Wildlife Service announced Thursday they have restarted the. 2 dead, 1 critically wounded in shooting at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Think Seattle-area property taxes are rising fast? It is staunchly opposed by ranchers' groups and some local officials. Were pleasantly surprised theyre reconsidering augmenting the population. Species that may be eligible for reintroduction are . The plan, jointly created by the National Parks Service and U.S. Dept. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. The species has been almost absent from the park since the late 1990s after humans hunted them to near extinction. All rights reserved (About Us). Current Status The one glaring absence is the Grizzly Bear. If it only leads to people in those places begging for the bears to be killed, perhaps the runoff from that will lead to hunting opportunities in places that already have grizzlies. 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. Heading out the door? Grizzlies have been a popular and divisive topic. Beginning in 2017, the Department held numerous public meetings, Tribal consultations and more than 70 stakeholder briefings, during which overwhelming opposition was received for the plan. The most likely scenario for reintroducing grizzlies to the North Cascades would see the NPS and USFWS relocate captured bears from the Rocky Mountains or Western Canada to the ecosystem over the course of five to ten years, releasing as many as seven bears per year. The bears would be captured and transported from interior British Columbia or Northwest Montana, according to a notice about the proposal. It's estimated there are currently less than 20 grizzlies in the state, though a female was fitted with a radio collar and released last year, along with her three cubs, according to the Washington DFW. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. This could be fun. The department hired an environmental cleanup company. The public largely supports reintroduction of this native species, as the bears are an integral part of healthy forest and mountain habitats in the Cascades, as well as an important part of regional Native American and First Nations cultures, dating back hundreds of years. I am writing to share my strong support for grizzly bear restoration in the North Cascades. In Oregon, state leaders last week banned the use of four types of neonicotinoids on linden trees and related species. The introduction of grizzly bears into the North Cascades would directly, and negatively, impact the people and the communities I represent, Newhouse said. ET): A previous version of this article misstatedone of the services helping to reintroduce grizzly bears. Wolves and Wolverines, amazingly, have recolonized the North Cascades after being extirpated by people, and Fishers were recently reintroduced to the NCE. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). The North Cascades are one of six USFWS-designated grizzly bear recovery zones in the U.S., spanning 9,000 square miles of mostly federal land. The U.S. In a news release on Thursday, he criticized the decision to restart it and urged the Biden administration to consider local input. The public overwhelmingly supports reintroduction of this native species, as the bears are an integral part of healthy forest and mountain habitats in the Cascades. Delaware's delegation urged to back federal pot reclassification. A grizzly forages in Wyoming Photo: Bryant Aardema -bryants wildlife images / Moment via Getty. But the idea languished without money for a multiyear . Fish and Wildlife Service has recently opened a public comment period on the reintroduction of grizzlies to the North Cascades. The player who eats the most babies wins. And between 1969 and 1972, the species was reintroduced using individuals from Alaska and California. I see them as dogs. U.S. Department of Interior news release: OMAK, WASHINGTONU.S. Secretary of the Interior David L.Bernhardtannounced today at a roundtable withcommunity members inOmak,Washingtonthat the Departmentof the Interior (Department)willnot move forwardwith anewGrizzly Bear Restoration Plan for the North CascadesEcosystemand the associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The goal over 5 to 10 years is to establish a population of 25 grizzlies. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. The argument about there not being enough of them to hunt would certainly change to some other argument as why they should never be hunted. Bernhardt says grizzly bears are not in danger of extinction, and the Department of the Interior will focus on managing healthy grizzly bear populations across their existing range. Swarovski ATC Compact Spotting Scope Review, Helping Mule Deer Thrive: Muley Fanatic Foundation, Growing Big Mule Deer with Wildlife Prof Randy Larsen. Supposedly the size of the coastal ones rivaled coastal griz in AK. We also recognize that, in some places, natural recolonizationthe idealis unlikely, and active reintroduction is needed to restore full biotic communities. The species has been almost absent from the park since the late 1990s after humans hunted them to near extinction. Dave Parsons, TRI Carnivore Conservation Biologist People are also invited to submit comments online. Fish and Wildlife Service released a document in January describing four ideas for reintroducing grizzly bears to the North Cascades region in Washington. I have long advocated that local voices must beheard 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.. One of the number one pros of reintroducing the grizzly bear is that they are what is known as an "umbrella species". In the face of Euro-American settlement, Oregon grizzlies seemed to retreat fairly steadily in the mid- to late-1800s to three redoubts: the Klamath Mountains (including the Siskiyous), the Southern Cascades, and the Blue/Wallowa Mountains (including Hells Canyon country). I gladly throw in $100. The introduction of grizzly bears into the North Cascades would directly, and negatively, impact the people and the communities I represent, Newhouse said in the statement. When Inman launched a campaign to defend himself against a defamation lawsuit in 2012, he raised $220,000 and donated it to the National Wildlife Federation and the American Cancer Society. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA), whose district includes part of the North Cascades ecosystem, welcomed the Trump administrations termination of the reintroduction process in 2015. Species reintroduction is the deliberate release of a species into the wild, from captivity or other areas where the organism is capable of survival. A year later, the new interior secretary, David Bernhardt, shuttered the process once again, with little explanation. WDFW has been an active participant in the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, working alongside other western states for the conservation and management of the species.. Dear USFWS Director Sheehan and NPS Deputy Director Smith. The White House pollinator health task force co-chaired by the EPA is scheduled to issue its findings before the spring planting season begins. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. It wasnt a lack of food or other resources. Entertainment With the publics help we will evaluate a list of options to determine the best path forward.. process to reintroduce grizzlies to North Cascades National Park. It's not clear, but Matthew Inman says he is pretty sure he "gave them a kick in the butt. The department hired an environmental cleanup company to use vacuum trucks on remaining oil. Theres lots of real estate for bears to occupy.. To date, nearly 1.500 grizzly bears inhabit those areas which are closely monitored by the U. S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bear numbers in Washington dwindled due to hunting in the late 1800s, landing the grizzly on the endangered species list 40 years ago. several virtual meetings to discuss the proposal. And they eat a lot of plants, including berries when they're in season. U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt told a meeting. The Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity filed a . The population is functionally extirpated, which means theres not enough reproduction going on for there to be any long-term grizzly population on both sides of the border, Ransom said. Photo: Bryant Aardema -bryants wildlife images / Moment via Getty, The National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service. KTVZ-TV FCC Public File | FCC Applications |, Breaking News Californians pushed the Wolf ballot in CO, I'm happy to support the Griz in CA. Nobody has seen a grizzly bear in Washington since 1996, but that could change soon. Grizzlies havent been spotted with certainty in the North Cascades since 1996, the National Park Service said in a news release. The agency's criteria for GYE grizzly bears calls for a minimum of 500 individuals and at least 48 females with cubs. Grizzly bear just north of the National Elk Refuge in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo. WENATCHEE Chelan County commissioners have drafted a letter opposing federal agencies' plan to reintroduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades. Now, theNorth Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Environmental Impact Statement process is back on. The post broke down the very basics of grizzly reintroduction to the northern Cascades ecosystem, and it urged readers to support "Alternative C," which calls for releasing five to seven bears each year for five to 10 years, with the goal of establishing a base population of 25 grizzlies and building to 200 bears within a century. The National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service will investigate reintroducing grizzly bears to Washingtons North Cascades, restarting a process the Trump administration halted seven years ago, the federal government said on Thursday. Representative Newhouse has been a tireless advocate for his community and his constituents regarding plans to reintroduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades Ecosystem,said Secretary Bernhardt. "This is frustrating . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Fish and Wildlife Service released a document in January describing four ideas for reintroducing grizzly bears to the North Cascadesregion in Washington state. Evan Bush is a science reporter for NBC News. The process kicked back into gear in 2019, but that effort was again squelched by Interior, under the Trump administration, in 2020. The project aims to produce a population of about 200 grizzly bears within 100 years. Is the Return of the Wolf, Wolverine, and Grizzly Bear to Oregon and California Biologically Feasible? Federal agencies are yet again considering plans to bring grizzly bears home to the deep forested valleys of the North Cascades where they once thrived. The National Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization And at the same time I have a card game telling people that bears eat babies," Inman said. SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) The federal government is scrapping plans to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem. Local and national environmental groups have praised the decision. (The Center Square) Grizzly bear sightings have become a rare event in Washington state. Specifically, I support Alternative C: Incremental Restoration. Grizzly populations grew over the past 10 years in two areas - the Yellowstone region, with more than 700 bears, and around Glacier National Park in Montana, which is home to more than 1,000. The National Park Service and the U.S. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. I might need to change my vote, depending on the method of "reintroduction." JavaScript is disabled. The National Park Service and U.S. We have wolvs coming in that's going to make a dent. But he said he's since learned more about grizzlies, which haven't been spotted in the U.S. portion of the North Cascades ecosystem since 1996. Others criticized the plan as negatively impacting the region. "Comedically, I use them a lot. Their presence is also an important indicator of a healthy ecosystem, as the clean water and level of biodiversity necessary to support their needs also supports a variety of other wildlife. Sulphur Creek is used as an irrigation return by the Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District. We urge conservationists to work together toward a Grizzly Bear recovery plan in the North Cascades that respects the welfare of individual bears, ecosystem health, and Wilderness values. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. This is balancing on a pinhead. The grizzly has profound cultural significance and its restoration will enrich our ancestral lands and help restore the foundations of our cultural practices. The department began planning the environmental review process in 2015 under the Obama administration. Grizzly bears play an important ecological and cultural role in the North Cascades. Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Seattle Times staff reporter Isabella Breda covers the environment.

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