USCA: Washington Grizzly Bear “Restoration” Unnecessary

The United States Cattlemen’s Association is less-than-thrilled with the North Cascades Mountain Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement.  The plan seeks to bring in as many as 200 grizzly bears to North Central Washington, despite serious stakeholder concerns, especially when it comes to safety.

USCA Public Lands Committee Co-Chair Jack Alexander said, “The original intent of the Endangered Species Act was to serve as a means of ensuring the survival of specific species that faced the serious threat of extinction. We have not yet witnessed the utilization of the law as a tool to promote range expansion for any non-threatened species, as is happening with this ‘plan.’”

He points out that the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the grizzly bear as a “Species of Least Concern,” due in no small part to its population of over 55,000 in North America.

Representative Dan Newhouse and many local county officials have come out against the proposal.

“In short, the basis for this ‘restoration plan’ fails to take into account local stakeholder concerns regarding the safety and well-being of their families, neighbors, and livestock,” Alexander said. “USCA wholly rejects the findings in the draft environmental impact statement and encourages the agencies to reconsider its ‘plan’ to attempt to ‘restore’ a grizzly bear population into the Northern Cascades Ecosystem.”

Comments on the grizzly proposal will be accepted through Friday, October 24, 2019. The public is invited to view the Draft EIS and make comments online Here.

Written comments will be accepted by mailing:

Superintendent’s Office
North Cascades National Park Service Complex
810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284.

Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or any other way than those specified above.

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