In a surprising change of course, the U.S. Department of the Interior has announced plans to proceed with grizzly bear reintroduction in the North Cascades.
The environmental review of the reintroduction plan was halted abruptly in December, with no clear explanation given as to why.
But last Friday (March 23), Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made an appearance in Sedro-Woolley and announced that the reintroduction would continue.
“Restoring the grizzly bear to the North Cascades Ecosystem is the American conservation ethic come to life,” said Secretary Zinke. “We are moving forward with plans to restore the bear to the North Cascades, continuing our commitment to conservation and living up to our responsibility as the premier stewards of our public land.”
The North Cascades Ecosystem is considered one of the most intact wildlands in the contiguous United States. Historical records show grizzlies roamed the area before they were decimated by hunting and loss of habitat over the past two centuries. The most recent confirmed sighting of a grizzly in the North Cascades was in 2010.
Research conducted in 2015 concluded the “carrying capacity” of the Washington portion of the ecosystem is approximately 280 bears, according to the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The draft reintroduction plan proposes restoring a population of 200 bears over the coming decades by capturing bears in surrounding regions, including British Columbia and Montana, and releasing them into the North Cascades.
An expedited approach would reach the goal in about 25 years, and an incremental approach would achieve it within 60 – 100 years, according to the draft EIS.
More than 125,000 public comments were received on the draft EIS, the majority in support of grizzly reintroduction. Environmental groups applauded Zinke’s latest announcement to continue with reintroduction.
“We thank Secretary Zinke for his visit and the encouraging words of support for grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades,” said Joe Scott, international programs director and grizzly bear lead for Conservation Northwest. “People recognize that we’ve forced the grizzly into a small fraction of its former range in four states, including Washington, and that we have a rare opportunity to right that wrong in some small way.”
But some in the Methow Valley oppose the plan. Brian Varrelman has owned and operated a backcountry packing and ranching operation at Alta Lake for more than 40 years, following in the footsteps of his father before him.
“If the bears find their own way in here without manipulation, more power to ’em,” he said. But when it comes to humans intervening to bring grizzlies to the North Cascades from less-densely populated parts of the country, Varrelman takes issue.
“It’s something that people in Okanogan County don’t want. It can have a direct impact on local ranchers and farmers,” he said. “I think I’d like to have the farm animals thrive rather than having a place overrun with apex predators.”
U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse was “disappointed” that Secretary Zinke did not consult with him before announcing his decision to continue with grizzly reintroduction, he said in a press release.
“Local communities in Central Washington thought reintroducing grizzly bears was a bad idea when proposed by the previous administration, and it would be just as bad an idea if entertained by the current administration,” Newhouse said.
The National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and other cooperating agencies are expected to release the final EIS in late summer of 2018.
