Nearly four decades after grizzly bears were declared threatened in
the Lower 48 states, long-stalled efforts to bring the species back to
Washington’s North Cascades are rolling again. The federal government announced Thursday it will launch an
environmental analysis
this fall to evaluate strategies to boost bear numbers. Among the
options on the table, the most controversial is the possibility of
transplanting grizzlies from healthy populations elsewhere. “This is huge news for the Pacific Northwest and for grizzly bears,” said Joe Scott of
Conservation Northwest, which has been pushing to restore grizzlies for 25 years. “This is the turning point.” Chris Morgan, founder of the
Grizzly Bear Outreach Project,
said he had tears in his eyes when he heard the news. “These animals
have always lived in the North Cascades, and I think they deserve an
opportunity to persist and thrive there,” he said. But not everyone is thrilled about sharing the woods with creatures
that can tip the scales at more than 500 pounds, run as fast as a
racehorse and wield fearsome teeth and claws. The species’ scientific name — Ursus arctos horribilis — reflects the
terror the bears inspired in early explorers, including Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark. “Grizzly bears are incredible, wonderful animals,” said Tom Davis, director of government relations for the
Washington Farm Bureau. “I just wouldn’t want them living next door to me, and I think that’s how farmers and ranchers ... feel.” Biologists estimate fewer than 20 of what some call “ghost bears” still
survive in the North Cascades ecosystem — a nearly 10,000-square-mile
expanse of wild country that extends from the Canadian border to
Interstate 90...
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