Two federal agencies voiced their preference Thursday for reintroducing grizzly bears into the North Cascades ecosystem in Washington state, in a long-awaited assessment of different bear management options.
While not a final decision, the environmental impact statement prepared by the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service identifies their “preferred alternative” as one that anticipates releasing three to seven grizzly bears annually into the North Cascades region over the next five-to-10 years.
The agencies’ preferred plan also entails managing the reintroduced grizzlies as a “nonessential experimental population” under the Endangered Species Act. This would allow state, tribes and federal agencies more flexibility should conflicts between bears and humans or livestock arise.
“It’s a good alternative biologically and socially,” said Joe Scott, the international programs director of Conservation Northwest. “If the agency succeeds in moving the bears over 10 years, that’s a good objective and a good goal. It’s probably as good as we can hope.”
