Still a chance to restore grizzly bears in Washington state

There’s still a chance to restore grizzly bears in Washington’s North Cascades.

The National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced the reopening considerations for how to help grizzly bears in the region.

“This is a first step toward bringing balance back to the ecosystem and restoring a piece of the Pacific Northwest’s natural and cultural heritage,” said Superintendent Don Striker of North Cascades National Park in a statement. “With the public’s help we will evaluate a list of options to determine the best path forward.”

This is a second look at bringing more grizzly bears into Washington state. It comes after federal officials abruptly ended a similar review in 2020. That review had been in the works for five years, deeply dividing many ranchers and wildlife advocates.

Biologists say Washington’s grizzly bear population won’t survive without some help. Grizzly bears are endangered in Washington state.

Biologists say there may only be a handful of grizzly bears left in Washington’s North Cascades ecosystem, which is cut off from other grizzly bear habitat. The last sighting of a grizzly in the region was in 1996.

According to the National Parks Service, grizzly bears are an essential part of the North Cascades ecosystem. The bears help keep other wildlife populations in check. Grizzlies also spread nutrients throughout their habitat.

This new review process of potential environmental impacts to bringing grizzlies to the region will include an option that would give local land managers more control over managing the bears.