Grizzlies Return to Cascades

Christina Thompson (Anchor, EarthxNews): Grizzly bears will soon be reintroduced at a national park in Washington. The National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service have announced a decision to actively restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades.

The agencies will seek to release 3 to 7 bears a year over the next 5 to 10 years in an effort to establish an initial population of 25 bears.

Once the initial goal is reached, a population of 200 bears would be likely in 60 to 100 years according to the agencies. Federal wildlife officials say the North Cascades is an area where the bears once roamed and they were a pillar of the local ecosystem.

Grizzly bears are listed as threatened under The Endangered Species Act. This reintroduction plan is part of the government’s efforts to help the species recover.