The officials have announced a plan by the federal government to reintroduce grizzly bears to a region in northwest and north-central Washington. This area had experienced a significant decline in the grizzly bear population, mainly due to human activities leading to direct killings.
The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have revealed their plans to reintroduce three to seven bears per year over a span of five to ten years. Their goal is to establish an initial population of 25 bears and gradually restore the bear population in the area to 200 bears within 60 to 100 years.
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Grizzlies are facing a threat in the Lower 48 and are currently found in four out of the six designated recovery areas across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and northeast Washington. The bears selected for the restoration project will be sourced from regions with thriving populations.
According to the National Park Service, there has been no confirmed evidence of a grizzly bear within the North Cascades Ecosystem in the U.S. since 1996. The decline in grizzly bear populations is primarily attributed to direct killing by humans. It is important to note that the plan focuses on the U.S. side of the greater North Cascades Ecosystem, which also extends into Canada.
“We will once again witness the presence of grizzly bears in the region, which will restore a vital element to the North Cascades,” expressed Don Striker, the superintendent of North Cascades National Park Service Complex.
The Seattle Times reported that the start date for the restoration effort is currently unknown.
The region’s fragmented habitat, caused by rivers, highways, and human activities, poses a significant obstacle for grizzlies to naturally repopulate the area.
During the 1800s, trappers, miners, and bounty hunters were responsible for decimating the North Cascades population, as reported by the park service. By 1860, most of the population had been eliminated. The surviving population faced additional challenges such as the scarcity of potential mates and slow reproductive rates.
The federal agencies are intending to classify the bears as a “nonessential experimental population” in order to have more flexibility in managing potential conflicts. This designation would potentially relax certain regulations outlined in the Endangered Species Act, allowing individuals to defend themselves by harming or killing bears or enabling agencies to relocate bears engaged in conflicts. In addition, landowners would have the ability to request the removal of bears by the federal government if they posed a threat to livestock.
The North Cascades ecosystem in the United States spans an area comparable to the state of Vermont. It serves as a vital habitat for a diverse range of wildlife, including bears, which rely on the abundant plant and animal life for sustenance. The majority of this region is under federal management, ensuring its preservation and protection.
Brad Thompson, state supervisor for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, assured that the reintroduction of grizzlies to the region will be carefully managed to address concerns regarding human safety, property, livestock, and the recovery of the grizzly bear population.
The National Park Service recently unveiled its plan to conduct research on grizzly bears in Yellowstone Park by capturing them. In order to ensure the safety of the public, the agency has emphasized the importance of avoiding areas where traps are set and clearly marked.
In a tragic incident last year, a grizzly bear claimed the life of a woman on a forest trail located west of Yellowstone National Park. Furthermore, this same bear had previously attacked an individual in Idaho three years ago. As a result, the bear was ultimately killed after it managed to break into a house near West Yellowstone.
