The Rewilding Institute supports the active reintroduction of Grizzly Bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE). An environmental impact statement will explore how the bears could be reintroduced with the eventual goal of removing them from the endangered species list, according to the National Park. The wolves have kept the park's population of elks . I would personally put money, time, and physical effort to help make this happen. 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The introduction of grizzly bears into the North Cascades would directly, and negatively, impact the people and the communities I represent,Newhouse said in a statement. See our instructions at the bottom of this page on how to make your voice heard. Is a Reintroductiton of the California Grizzly Bear Likely - InsideHook This is a first step toward bringing balance back to the ecosystem and restoring a piece of the Pacific Northwests natural and cultural heritage, said Superintendent Don Striker of North Cascades National Park. Nobody has seen a grizzly bear in Washington since 1996, but that could change soon. The goal over 5 to 10 years is to establish a population of 25 grizzlies. The federal agencies will evaluate several options to restore bear populations as part of an environmental impact statement process. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The USFWS has recently opened a public comment period on reintroduction of grizzlies to the North Cascades, the latest effort in a decades long struggle to bring the bears back from the brink. Without them our wild areas are diminished, less diverse and sanitized. "With grizzlies in particular, people see them like a Tyrannosaurus rex, when in reality they're more like scaredy-cats," he said. Jagged peaks of the North Cascades rise into the clouds. The public will have four opportunities to participate and comment on the process at virtual public meetings on Nov. 14, Nov. 18, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. Grizzly bear just north of the National Elk Refuge in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo. The Recovery zone will eventually cover 9,800 square miles and will be a lifeline to these bears as they gradually recover from severely depleted populations across the West. ", Inman is the man behind the super-popular comic website The Oatmeal, which features graphic, whimsical and surprisingly edifying posts on topics ranging from the coolness of mantis shrimps to correct usage of the word "literally." We must all work together to make this . Should Jaguar and Grizzly Bear be reintroduced into most of the This is balancing on a pinhead. 6 The caves also show a number of scratch marks thought to have been made by the claws of bears. The North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone will encompass the North Cascades National Park, plus several neighboring designated Wilderness Areas. The public comment period on grizzly bear restoration in the North Cascades will remain open until October 24th, 2019. Active restoration is needed for ecological, as well as ethical, reasons. Send a message to the National Park Service in support of grizzly restoration in the North Cascades. The agencies would aim to establish an initial population of 25 bears. North Cascades National Park has renewed efforts to evaluate how grizzly bears could be reintroduced to the park, restarting the effort that began in 2014 under the Obama administration. Grizzly bear reintroduction efforts get pushback from Chelan County But the idea languished without money for a multiyear . North Cascades National Park has renewed efforts to evaluate how grizzly bears could be reintroduced to the park, restarting the effort that began in 2014 under the Obama administration. The bears were a critical part of the ecosystem, turning soil as they dug for roots, eating berries and distributing the seeds in their scat, and keeping small animal populations in check. What accounted for the big jump in comments? And on Friday, Inman published a post titled "I need 50,000 comments on a government website.". According to the latest estimates by biologists, its likely that fewer than 10 grizzly bears remain in the North Cascades. IE 11 is not supported. We have wolvs coming in that's going to make a dent. In a letter to the president and the Environmental Protection Agency,they called for increased restrictions on neonicotinoids, a type of pesticide that has been cited as a potential cause to colony collapse disorder. "I might need to do some course correcting.". Grizzly bears play an important ecological and cultural role in the North Cascades. The bears would be captured and transported from interior British Columbia or Northwest Montana, according to a notice about the proposal. The Wenatchee World. The narrative about Cascades grizzly bear recovery will take decades to unfold. Evan Bush is a science reporter for NBC News. This Bill Saves Wildlife in Crisis. Can we do this in every state? The animal activist buying tags thread got me thinking. 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. People are also invited to submit comments online. I think they're funny," Inman said of bears. A final decision could take years. 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. 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. They're like a cute, 800-pound, apex predator dog. Earlier this year, Alagona dispatched post-doctoral researcher Alex McInturff to Bishop, in the Eastern Sierras, to gauge local attitudes around grizzly reintroduction an initiative unavoidably restructured when COVID-19 scuppered plans for focus groups and on-site interviews. Supposedly the size of the coastal ones rivaled coastal griz in AK. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The department hired an environmental cleanup company. Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse released a statement in response to the environmental impact statement, inviting the public to get involved with the process and submit comments. Ransom said restoring grizzlieswould enhance biodiversity and could make the ecosystem more resilient to future changes. It is heartily backed by wildlife conservation organizations and Native American tribes. The grizzly is also an important part of regional Native American and First Nations cultures, dating back hundreds of years. "Here I am trying to tell people, 'Bears are sweet, calm down.' Babies," in which the object is to build a monstrous bear - the example Inman gives is "a grizzly bear made of chain saws who can run at the speed of light" - that eats babies. Fish and Wildlife Service. A study published this week describes the work, which OPB's Cassandra Profita calls "an atlas of insect-caused tree mortality." The last verifiable sighting of a grizzly on the U.S. side of the North Cascades was in 1996, though people occasionally still spot them in British Columbias Cascade Mountains. Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images file. What Should the Future of the Pacific Northwest Trail Look Like? The U.S. According to the recovery goals established in the USFWS' Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, the grizzly populations in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems are both fully recovered. All rights reserved (About Us). By OLIVIA HOBSON. 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. Theres lots of real estate for bears to occupy.. Research Catalog | NYPL Why not SF too? Staff Reporter. Wilderness and Grizzly Bears for the North Cascades With the publics help we will evaluate a list of options to determine the best path forward, North Cascades National Park Superintendent Don Striker said in a statement. It is the U.S. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. One of the number one pros of reintroducing the grizzly bear is that they are what is known as an "umbrella species". The Trump Administration is committed to being a good neighbor, and the people who live and work in north central Washington have made their voices clear that they do not want grizzly bears reintroduced into the North Cascades. Is the Return of the Wolf, Wolverine, and Grizzly Bear to Oregon and California Biologically Feasible? An estimated 60,000 grizzly bears inhabit North America, half of them in Alaska. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) has been the primary focus of grizzly recovery efforts to date. Federal Government Gives Up Grizzly Reintroduction In North Cascades - opb 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. Feasibility of Timber Wolf Reintroduction in Adirondack Park / Paul C. Paquet, James R. Strittholt and Nancy L. Staus / [et al.]. Grizzly bears slowly expand their territory in the northern U.S. Rocky Oregon as Grizzly Country On Monday, the agencies extended the comments period by an additional 45 days, citing requests from members of the public and local officials. It wasnt a lack of food or other resources. 3. In Oregon, state leaders last week banned the use of four types of neonicotinoids on linden trees and related species. Should Grizzlies Be Restored to the North Cascades? - National Geographic Virtual public meetings are scheduled for Nov. 15, 18, Dec. 1, 2. Initially, he said, "I was like, 'Oh god, am I going to reintroduce grizzlies and then die at the hands of a bear?'". In a petition to the U . Fish. 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. Minimize the use of motorized vehicles in wild areas; machines should be used only as much as is necessary to achieve recovery goals. Public comment on the plan is open through Dec. 14. ", Inman's parents live at the edge of the North Cascades, where he said he hikes and runs fairly often - which, yes, means he's advocating to share his recreational space with those predators. Fish & Wildlife Service recently announced plans to evaluate options for restoring grizzly bears in the North Cascades. Or maybe I should write a screenplay Reintroduce bears to eat liberals? We thank Secretary Haaland for leading this effort and look forward to welcoming grizzlies back home, Scott Schuyler, Policy Representative for the Upper Skagit Tribe said in a statement. Fish and Wildlife Services have led these efforts for self-sustaining grizzly bear populations, primarily focused in six areas of Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming. The Forest Service Wants to Hear From You. Subscribe | Support, The Wisdom of Bears and the Perfidy of Bureaucracy, Government Agents Kill Endangered Mexican Gray Wolf Father, Threatening Packs Survival, Expansion and Restoration of Bison to Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The issue of reintroducing grizzly bears to Minnesota's ecosystem is one that is sure to elicit strong opinions from different stakeholders. Central Washingtons Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse was quick to criticize the plan. 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. With the publics help we will evaluate a list of options to determine the best path forward.. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Feds plan to reintroduce grizzly bears in Washington: Oregon SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) The federal government is scrapping plans to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem. Soon, grizzly bears, mountain lions, and other wildlife were seen perusing the valleys, and stream health markedly improved." Eliminating the "Missing Link" Another point that frequently gets brought up in favor of wolf reintroduction is the idea that reintroducing wolves will eliminate a "missing link" in the range of the gray wolf species. 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.. Keep stress and discomfort of individual bears to the absolute minimum necessary to achieve gains for the natural community. In October of last year, Secretary Bernhardt visited Montana with U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte, speaking to additional actions that have now since been taken by the Department to strengthen state management of grizzly bears, help limit human conflict and effectively manage healthy populations of the species. 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. I strongly encourage the people of Central Washington to attend the virtual meetings in order to voice their opinion and put this misguided proposal to rest, once and for all.. And they eat a lot of plants, including berries when they're in season. Now that the comments period has been extended to April 28, he's have time for more pro-bear comics. Approximately 2,000 exist in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. / Carlos Carroll, Reed F. Noss and Nathan H. Schumaker / [et al.]. Fish and Wildlife Service has recently opened a public comment period on the reintroduction of grizzlies to the North Cascades. In mid-2017, officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior, without clear explanation, halted progress on the recovery efforts. Dave Parsons, TRI Carnivore Conservation Biologist The proposal to bring back grizzlies to Cascades just got - oregonlive Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The National Park Service and U.S. To fully restore the ecological integrity of the North Cascades, we need to give Grizzly Bears a helping hand and actively bring them back. The species has been almost absent from the park since the late 1990s after humans hunted them to near extinction. This means by protecting them, we'll be able to protect a wide variety of species because of the fact that grizzly bears require such a large area to thrive. Disregard politics or people whats the worst state to live in? The recovery of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states is an amazing success. Sounds good and is fun to talk about grizzlies eating liberals but reality is they won't let us hunt them. Carefully document the entire Grizzly Bear reintroduction process so that lessons can be shared with other areas in need of Grizzly Bear reintroduction (including Oregon, California, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico). The first of six meetings on the bear reintroduction plan is . Your instinct is you want to pet them and play with them, but you can't. Grizzlies Vanished From the Cascades Decades Ago. The Feds Want to If the program is approved, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife expects that it will both support the federal effort at monitoring the population and outreach to local residents. But social pressure is how legislation gets made," Inman wrote, adding that he donated $25,000 to the cause - money that, he said in an interview, would help fund the pro-reintroduction campaigns of the National Wildlife Federation and Conservation Northwest. Reintroduce Grizzlies into CA | Rokslide Forum The grizzly has profound cultural significance and its restoration will enrich our ancestral lands and help restore the foundations of our cultural practices. Hunters and government agents killed thousands of bears, once found throughout the region, for fur and to remove them from the region entirely, the Center for Biological Diversity said in court filings. We had no idea this announcement today was going to be made, said Andrea Zaccardi, the carnivore conservation legal director for the Center for Biological Diversity. They asked for public comments on the proposals, which range from doing nothing to building a new population of 200 bears within 25 years. The USFWS has proposed four alternative approaches for grizzly bear restoration, ranging from a No Action approach to an Expedited Restoration approach, with varying degrees of government involvement in the reintroduction of grizzly bears from other regions to the North Cascades. process to reintroduce grizzlies to North Cascades National Park. Into Los Angeles, yes, I would support that. Conservation group proposes bringing grizzly bears back into Arizona The National Park Service and U.S. A file photo of a two-month-old Grizzly bear named Hutch at the Ultimate Sport Show at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/The Grand Rapids Press, Chris Clark). From Daily Weather Forecast This is a first step toward bringing balance back to the ecosystem and restoring a piece of the Pacific Northwests natural and cultural heritage, North Cascades Superintendent Don Striker said in a news release. And between 1969 and 1972, the species was reintroduced using individuals from Alaska and California. A bear catches a meal in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. Support reintroducing grizzly bears to the North Cascades The Biden administration will restart planning to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades Range, a project the Trump administration halted in 2020. ET): A previous version of this article misstatedone of the services helping to reintroduce grizzly bears. Wolves in Yellowstone Help Grizzly Bears Fatten Up Two public review and comment periods were facilitated on the Draft EIS, receiving more than 143,000 comments. The state Ecology Department says as much as 1,500 gallons of used motor oil spilled Sunday from a tank that failed at a former feed lot near Sunnyside and flowed into Sulphur Creek and the Yakima River. 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. 2 dead, 1 critically wounded in shooting at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Think Seattle-area property taxes are rising fast? Is JP Morgan's purchase of failed bank from FDIC a government bailout? Delaware's delegation urged to back federal pot reclassification. The view of The Rewilding Institute is that the Wilderness Act should not be so dogmatically interpreted as to proscribe vital restoration measures, but should be holistically interpreted to weigh heavily in favor of minimalist tools and intervention. Grizzly bears are a key native species for the park and its ecological processes. The department began planning the environmental review process in 2015 under the Obama administration. The project aims to produce a population of about 200 grizzly bears within 100 years. The previous federal efforts to restore bears in the North Cascades drew about 143,000 public comments combined, Ransom said. It's not clear, but Matthew Inman says he is pretty sure he "gave them a kick in the butt. What we need is a grizzly nursery. 2 Oregon State scientists among large group pushing for removal of U.S Privacy Policy | Terms of Use, A grizzly bear and her cubs in Yellowstone National Park. 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. WENATCHEE Chelan County commissioners have drafted a letter opposing federal agencies' plan to reintroduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades. Feds nix plans to reintroduce grizzlies to Washington's - oregonlive John Miles, environmental historian and former board member of North Cascades Institute, The Rewilding Institute (TRI) mission is to explore and share tactics and strategies to advance continental-scale conservation and restoration in North America and beyond. Last year, he helped create a card game called "Bears vs. reintroducing grizzly bears to the North Cascades. 2022. The National Park Service and the U.S. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It will take decades to do so and were confident that grizzly bears will thrive here just as they do in other wild places and parks, which have served as a model for the rest of the world.. North Cascades National Park, located roughly at its center, was the least-visited national park in the contiguous 48 states in 2021. Fish & Wildlife Service announced Thursday they have restarted the. This is a first step toward bringing balance back to the ecosystem and restoring a piece of the Pacific Northwests natural and cultural heritage, Superintendent Don Striker of North Cascades National Park said in a news release. Federal plan would reintroduce grizzly bears to Washingtons Cascade mountains, By Lawrence Wilson | The Center Square contributor, What it Costs to Retire Comfortably in Washington, How Gas Taxes in Washington Compare to Other States, How Much Washington Taxes Its Residents Compared to Other States, How Much Home You Can Buy for $200k in Washington, Treasury gives Congress dire June 1 deadline on debt ceiling, Three years after pandemic began, Biden will lift federal vaccination mandates, Biden touts record, small businesses fire back.