The National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service invite the public to participate in a series of informational open houses regarding the proposed options for the restoration of grizzly bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem.
The North Cascades Ecosystem spans 10,000 square miles from British Columbia to I-90, encompassing North Cascades National Park and beyond.
This is the latest step in a process that began more than 30 years ago. NPS has been evaluating options for restoring the grizzly population in the North Cascades since February of 2015 following habitat and ecosystem analysis conducted in the late 1980s through the 90s.
Washington's largest grizzly population lives in the Northeastern corner of the state. The animals are exceptionally rare in the North Cascades. The last confirmed grizzly bear sighting in the North Cascades was in 1996.
Learn more about the history of the plan in The Seattle Times.
Read about hiking safely in bear country.
The alternatives are described in the draft Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (draft EIS), released by the two agencies on Jan. 13, 2017.
Meetings start Feb. 13 and public comments are accepted through Mar. 14.
WTA is currently evaluating whether any of the proposed options would impact trails. WTA also thanks the park service for including outdoor enthusiasts in this process.
Learn more and provide your comments at a meeting near you
The park service and WTA hopes trail users will comment on the EIS at the meetings or submit comments online by March 14.
The public open houses will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the following locations:
Cle Elum – February 13 at the Putnam Centennial Center
Cashmere – February 14 at the Riverside Center
Winthrop – February 15 at the Red Barn
Omak – February 16 at the Annex Facility at Okanogan County Fairgrounds
Bellingham – February 21 at the Oxford Suites
Darrington – February 22 at the Darrington Community Center
Sultan – February 23 at the Sultan High School
Renton – February 24 at the Renton Community Center
If you are planning to attend a meeting, check the North Cascades National Park Service website the day of the meeting for the latest weather and travel updates or if the meeting time has changed.
For people who can't attend the meetings, informational webinars are scheduled for
Tuesday, February 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT
Sunday, February 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT
Get more information about the open houses and to register for the webinars.