Grizzly bears roamed Washington’s Cascade Mountains for thousands of years, but now none remain. Hunted, trapped, and poisoned to death, the bears were exterminated from the wildest parts of our state. Thankfully, the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have developed plans that can restore the grizzly bear to the North Cascades. We need your help by November 13th.
Grizzly bears are a keystone species whose presence contributes to the health of our wildlands. Their presence is a sign of a fully wild and protected landscape, that humans and animals can depend on for years. Comment today to breathe new life into the wild lungs of the North Cascades.
Submit your comments by copying and pasting the sample message below into the “Comments” box on the web form. Please personalize your comments with observations or stories from your experiences at the park.
Dear Superintendent Don Striker and Supervisor Brad Thompson,
I am writing to support the restoration of a healthy population of grizzly bears to the North Cascades, their home for thousands of years. Where grizzly bears thrive, so does clean water, and abundant native fish and wildlife populations.
I support Alternative C: Restoration with Section 10(j) Designation. The proposal would bring up to 25 non-problem grizzly bears into remote areas of the North Cascades over the next decade and manage them as an experimental population.
Alternative C is the best choice for bears and the people who live and visit the North Cascades Ecosystem. The plan is wisely modeled on what’s worked in Montana where grizzlies are recovering in the Cabinet-Yaak mountains with few problems and with the acceptance and involvement of local communities. Furthermore, the 10(j) rule will give people more management tools to reduce, prevent, and sometimes respond to human-bear conflict. I believe that the 10(j) rule if properly implemented, will help increase human acceptance of grizzly bears as they return to the landscape.
Public opinion polls have shown broad support for grizzly bear restoration in Washington, including among those who live in the North Cascades. Please bring back this native species to our state through the strategy laid out in Alternative C. Doing so will restore an important piece of our ecosystem, regional culture, and natural heritage.
Thank you for taking the time to keep our North Cascades wild!
Sincerely,
