Fear, Loathing, and Grizzly Bears in the Northern Cascades

Concerned ranchers and excited environmentalists have had a lot to talk about in the past month as long-standing plans to restore grizzly bear populations in the North Cascades have inched closer to action. It’s been 40 years since grizzly bears were first listed as a threatened species, and more than two decades since 9,800 square miles of Washington’s North Cascades were named as a possible area for restoration efforts aimed at building a new, sustainable population of grizzlies. According to the National Park Service, that area could support up to 200 bears, though those numbers won’t be reached for decades—even in the best of circumstances. In the near future, reintroduction plans would see only a few bears returned to the area every few years. But before the grizzlies can return, the program needs to get through the public-comment period, which closes on March 26. Following the progress of a habitat-restoration project can be a bit like watching paint dry, but the topic of grizzly restoration has brought an interesting twist to the six public meetings, held across the state from Wenatchee to Bellingham, and mail-in and online comments: namely, that many people find grizzly bears absolutely terrifying. “There is a lot of fear, in general, and concern, especially from people who don’t understand the species,” says Ann Froschauer, a public-affairs supervisor for the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. She provides information to those who are slightly nervous about these cuddly creatures, which can weigh up to 790 pounds and could function as a regulation-height basketball hoop if they stood on their hind legs and wore a rim as a hat. “It’s an issue that really does seem to attract polar-opposite camps. Some people are really excited. Others . . . are a bit more reserved,” she says.