| Welcome grizzlies home to the North Cascades.Grizzly bears have been part of the Pacific Northwest landscape for thousands of years. They are culturally and spiritually significant to Native American and First Nations communities, seen as teachers, guides and symbols of strength and wisdom. Grizzlies are an “umbrella species” – when they are present in an ecosystem, the entire ecosystem benefits.
After decades of hunting and trapping, grizzly bears now only exist in two percent of their former range in the lower 48 states. The North Cascades Ecosystem, encompassing approximately 9,800 square miles within north central Washington, is one of the few places left that is wild and remote enough to support a population of bears. We have an ethical, moral, and legal obligation to restore this native species, and right our past wrongs.
Last week the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service reopened the public comment period on the proposed federal grizzly bear restoration plan for the North Cascades.
Grizzlies are an integral part of a healthy North Cascades ecosystem, write a comment letter and learn more.
Please also send a copy of your comments to Congressman Dan Newhouse, let him know that Methow residents respect wildlife and support restoring threatened species. |
