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). I might need to change my vote, depending on the method of "reintroduction." Since human settlement in the southwest Mexican Grizzlies have become extinct, Mexican Grey Wolves have become endangered, and Jaguars have become ecologically extinct with all but a handful remaining in the US. The federal government on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, decided to scrap plans . The plan to reintroduce bears to North Cascades National Park could eventually see the grizzly population grow to about 200. To fully restore the ecological integrity of the North Cascades, we need to give Grizzly Bears a helping hand and actively bring them back. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. IE 11 is not supported. Group seeks to reintroduce grizzlies to Selway-Bitterroots The plan, jointly created by the National Parks Service and U.S. Dept. In a press release, the NPS said that the agencies would begin work on a new Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate several potential plans for reintroducing the animals, including naming them a 10(j) experimental population. Wildlife officials and advocates should undertake active Grizzly Bear reintroduction with utmost compassion for the individual animals involved, and great respect for the laws of the land in the United Statesand also in Canada, if bears are to be sourced there. Or maybe I should write a screenplay Reintroduce bears to eat liberals? As a result, laws prohibiting the hunting of otters were put in place in 1911. 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. WENATCHEE Chelan County commissioners have drafted a letter opposing federal agencies' plan to reintroduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades. Reintroduce Grizzlies into CA | Rokslide Forum A bear catches a meal in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve. 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. The restoration is needed to help restore the biodiversity of the region and help ensure the survival of the species and, eventually, remove it from the endangered list, according to a joint statement by both sponsoring agencies. Newhouse also wrote letters in opposition during past planning processes, claiming there was not adequate public input. Were pleasantly surprised theyre reconsidering augmenting the population. We focus on the need for large carnivores and protected wildways for their movement; and we offer a bold, scientifically credible, practically achievable, and hopeful vision for the future of wild Nature and human civilization on planet Earth. 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 project aims to produce a population of about 200 grizzly bears within 100 years. Grizzly bears are omnivores; they eat a variety of plants and berries, insects, fish, small mammals, and carrion. (The Center Square) Grizzly bear sightings have become a rare event in Washington state. Once we have an "army" of these bears built up, we air drop them into heavily populated areas of CA and let them work their magic. With the publics help we will evaluate a list of options to determine the best path forward.. Its been a long road to recovery for the grizzly. SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) The federal government is scrapping plans to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem. The federal government is seeking public input on its plan to reintroduce the bears into the state, where they once numbered in the thousands. 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). The goal of species reintroduction is to establish a healthy, genetically diverse, self-sustaining population to an area where it has been extirpated, or to augment an existing population. We support the recovery of large carnivores and other strongly interactive species, including Grizzly Bears, wherever possible in their native ranges. An estimated 60,000 grizzly bears inhabit North America, half of them in Alaska. 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. Fish & Wildlife Service announced Thursday they have restarted the. Reintroduction | Wildlife Preservation Canada Also, he said, The Oatmeal will feature fewer bear-mauling jokes. The National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service will investigate reintroducing grizzly bears to Washington's North Cascades, restarting a process the Trump administration halted seven years ago, the federal government said on Thursday.. The last confirmed sighting of a grizzly bear in the U.S. portion of the North Cascades was in 1996, according to the National Park Service. An apex predator, grizzly bears keep prey populations under control, but they also work to disturb and aerate the soil while they dig for roots and spread seeds through their scat. Active restoration is needed for ecological, as well as ethical, reasons. The Rewilding Institute supports the active reintroduction of Grizzly Bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE). The U.S. 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. The U.S. The National Park Service has scheduled several virtual meetings to discuss the proposal. (C) The Rewilding Institute | Site by Brick Road Media, Wilderness and Grizzly Bears for the North Cascades. 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. The federal agencies will evaluate several options to restore bear populations as part of an environmental impact statement process. (NWF responded by arranging for him to meet and spoon-feed peanut butter to two grizzly bears at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, where he lives, and presenting him with a plaque honoring him as "Champion of Bears."). 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. 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. Is JP Morgan's purchase of failed bank from FDIC a government bailout? Local and national environmental groups have praised the decision. The plan has been hailed by Tribal leaders, conservation groups and other wildlife advocates. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. I am writing to share my strong support for grizzly bear restoration in the North Cascades. Support reintroducing grizzly bears to the North Cascades In the case of the North Cascades and its once and future Grizzly Bear population, this means the National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and other partners in Grizzly recovery should take these important steps: The Rewilding Institute urges all conservation groups who are weighing in on Grizzly Bear recovery in the North Cascades to talk directly with each other and try to find common ground that restores Grizzlies while also upholding Wilderness values. process to reintroduce grizzlies to North Cascades National Park. And on Friday, Inman published a post titled "I need 50,000 comments on a government website.". By Tuesday, however, that number had jumped to about 110,000, she said. John Davis, TRI Executive Director 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. If we bring grizzlies they aren't going to put them in the coast range. If they happen to take out most people in those areas, so be it. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Wolves in Yellowstone Help Grizzly Bears Fatten Up 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. Staff Reporter. Grizzlies could roam wildest reaches of Washington state again, but The Wenatchee World. In 2017, agencies received more than 126,000 public comments. Is a Reintroductiton of the California Grizzly Bear Likely - InsideHook PHOENIX - An Arizona conservation group wants the federal government to consider reintroducing grizzly bears into the state. Published: September 27, 2019 Biologists last estimated that fewer than 10 grizzly bears remain in the North Cascades, the most at-risk bear population in North America. Heres the best way to make your message heard: Step 1) Open the National Park Service webpage:CLICK HERE. Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images file. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. If we could concentrate the bears in LA and SF I think this would be great for conservation of the grizz! The North Cascades is one of six areas where the federal government is looking to restore the grizzlies. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. "It's like when you see a tiger at the zoo. He can be reached at Evan.Bush@nbcuni.com. Cascadia | Defenders of Wildlife Wilderness and Grizzly Bears for the North Cascades Killed by a Grizzly Bear - It Happened in Oregon The National Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt told a meeting of community members in Omak, Washington, on Tuesday that his agency will not conduct the environmental impact statement needed to move forward. Rewilding the Sky Islands Region of the . The department began planning the environmental review process in 2015 under the Obama administration.