North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Back on the Table, Says Zinke

SEATTLE – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke traveled to North Cascades National Park to announce that a process to recover grizzly bears in the North Cascades Ecosystem will continue.

The grizzly recovery study, led by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was originally announced in August of 2014 as a three-year process. In mid-2017 Interior officials, without clear explanation, halted progress on the recovery efforts.

Statement by Rob Smith, Northwest Regional Director for National Parks Conservation Association

“We’ve lost almost a year of progress towards grizzly recovery in the North Cascades, so we’re relieved that Secretary Zinke has decided to take his finger off the ‘pause’ button and allow park and wildlife experts to continue their work.

“Wildlife science as well as public opinion support restoration of the grizzly bear to the North Cascades for ecosystem health and as a legacy for future generations.

“While the final analysis of public comments on the draft environmental report has not been released, we know that more than 126,000 Americans took action – so there is no doubt of far-reaching interest. Multiple polls over the years have shown broad support for grizzly recovery in the region.”

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About National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its 1.3 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.