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Officials plan to bring back grizzly bears to Washington’s North Cascades, where they once thrived. These bears play a crucial role in the ecosystem and have suffered from human interference, with the last sighting in 1996.
The National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have jointly declared their intention to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades of Washington, where the bear population once flourished.
The North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE) is a large ecosystem in north central Washington state and south central British Columbia. The United States portion of the ecosystem is about 9,800 square miles, larger in size than the state of New Jersey. Roughly 85% of the area is under federal management.
Grizzly bears have played a vital role in the North Cascades ecosystem for centuries, helping to distribute native plant seeds and maintain a balance among other wildlife populations. However, human interference has caused a significant decline in their numbers. The most recent sighting of a grizzly bear in the U.S. portion of this ecosystem was confirmed in 1996, with the last female and her young seen in 1991. An online study delving into historical reports and sightings of grizzly bears in the North Cascades is available for further research.
Grizzley Bear at Kodiak, Alaska. Photo: USFWS L Hupp
Adventurer’s Guide to North Cascades National Park, Washington
In the Record of Decision that was issued today, it has been determined that the grizzly bear population in the North Cascades ecosystem will be restored by relocating bears from other ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains or interior British Columbia. This decision comes after an Environmental Impact Statement process that began in 2022 and has finally reached its conclusion.
Over a span of five to ten years, agencies will attempt to relocate three to seven grizzly bears annually, with the goal of establishing a starting population of 25 bears. The U.S. portion of the North Cascades ecosystem covers approximately 9,800 square miles, making it larger than the state of New Jersey and containing some of the most untouched wilderness in the contiguous United States. Of the mountainous area, roughly 85% is managed by federal authorities.
“We are going to once again see grizzly bears on the landscape, restoring an important thread in the fabric of the North Cascades.” said Don Striker, Superintendent of North Cascades National Park Service Complex.
As per the decision, grizzly bears residing in the North Cascades will be classified as a nonessential experimental population under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. This classification grants authorities and land managers with additional methods for managing these animals that would not have been possible under current regulations of the Endangered Species Act. In the near future, a final 10(j) rule will be published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in the Federal Register.
“The final 10(j) rule is based on extensive community engagement and conversations about how the return of a grizzly bear population in the North Cascades will be actively managed to address concerns about human safety, property and livestock, and grizzly bear recovery.” said Brad Thompson, State Supervisor for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.“It provides an expanded set of management tools in recognition that grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades is dependent on community tolerance of grizzly bears.”
Input from the public greatly influenced the decision. In the autumn of 2023, over 12,000 comments were submitted on both the draft Environmental Impact Statement and a proposed 10(j) rule during the open comment period.
At this time, there is no specific schedule in place for when the process of relocating grizzly bears to the ecosystem may commence. The National Park Service will provide updates through their website and inform partners and the general public about any plans for implementation as they are established.
In order to reintroduce grizzly bears into the wild, remote and unspoiled areas on NPS or U.S. Forest Service lands would be chosen. This would include portions of the Stephen Mather, Pasayten, and Glacier Peak wilderness areas, as depicted in the map on page 31 of the final EIS. Certain criteria must be met for an area to be deemed suitable for release: it should consist primarily of high-quality seasonal habitat with ample berry-producing plants, known to be a favorite food of grizzly bears; it should have minimal human activity and be at a safe distance from heavily trafficked areas and open motorized spaces; and there must be a designated helicopter landing site available.
The ideal grizzly bears for capture and later release would be young subadults, aged 2 to 5, who have not yet reproduced and have had no confrontations with humans. We aim for an initial release sex ratio of around 60-80% female and 20-40% male.
The grizzly bears used for this project will come from regions with comparable food sources, creating a similar “food economy” for them. Furthermore, the source populations must be substantial and consistent enough to support the loss of some individuals. These potential populations could possibly include the Northern Continental Divide, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, or interior British Columbia.
The translocated grizzly bears will be equipped with radio collars that regularly transmit information about their movements to wildlife managers. It may take anywhere from 60-100 years for the population to grow from an initial 25 bears to 200. During the first 10-20 years of restoration, it is unlikely that people will encounter these bears frequently.
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