Download North Cascades Grizzly Bears

“Even though thousands of people already live,
work and recreate every year in bear country
from Wyoming to Montana, Idaho, and northeast
Washington State, problems with grizzly bears
are very rare.” —
­ bear ecologist Chris Morgan
Occasionally backcountry managers will close trails for
safety precautions, for example if a grizzly bear is feeding
on a carcass near the trail.
What you can do:
Take part in the process to recover our region’s bears.
Learn more at parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEGg
Sign a statement of support for North Cascades grizzlies.
Go to conservationnw.org/northcascadesgrizzly
© Matthew Felton
“There hasn’t been a permanently closed trail or area in
the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in 40 years because of
grizzly bears,” said Kim Barber, senior grizzly bear biologist,
Shoshone National Forest.
North Cascades Grizzly Bears
Grizzly bear and cubs in southwest British Columbia. Jeremy Williams
Restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades!
Share your support
Hashtag:#SavetheCascadesGrizzly
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North Cascades Grizzly Bear
Twitter: @CascadesGrizzly
Instagram:@CascadesGrizzly
At Katmai, Alaska, in springtime, a male grizzly bear browses tender sedge
shoots under the thoughtful gaze of visitors. © ChrisMorganWildlife.org
With education and awareness, steps to live and recreate
safely in grizzly country become commonplace. North
Cascades National Park already requires visitors to use
basic techniques keeping their camps bear-safe. For more
information on being “bear aware,” visit westernwildlife.org/
grizzly-bear-outreach-project/bear-safety
For thousands of years, grizzly bears have been an
important part of the North Cascades ecosystem. They play a
vital role for the health of the environment and other wildlife
species and figure prominently in local Native American and
First Nation cultures.
The North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone—nearly
10,000 square miles stretching from Interstate 90 north to
the Canadian border and anchored by North Cascades National Park—is one of largest blocks of wild federal land remaining in the lower 48 states. But it is isolated from grizzly
bear populations in other parts of the U.S. and Canada.
Restoration. The National Park Service, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, and Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife are conducting a public planning
process to restore a healthy grizzly bear population in
Washington’s North Cascades Ecosystem. Please get
involved. Your voice makes a difference!
North Cascades grizzly bear on remote camera. B.C. Ministry of Environment
Grizzly bears are at high risk of going locally extinct in the
North Cascades. Restoring a self-sustaining population
would contribute to the restoration of biodiversity in the
ecosystem for the benefit and enjoyment of present and
future generations.
Grizzly bear and cubs in northeast Washington. WDFW
North Cascades grizzly bears are the most at-risk
grizzly bears in the United States. Today, very
few are left in the North Cascades Ecosystem.
Biologists believe grizzly bears may soon
disappear entirely from the Cascades if recovery
actions aren’t taken.
Washingtonians and
Grizzly Bears
Research indicates the North Cascades landscape has
quality habitat capable of supporting a self-sustaining
grizzly bear population.
In the past decade, polling
has reflected strong public
support for North Cascades
grizzly bear restoration that
transcends geographic and
demographic lines. In an independent poll conducted
in 2005 in and adjacent to
the North Cascades recovery
zone, residents demonstrated
major support for grizzly bear
recovery. The survey was consistent with previous polls.
A few grizzly bears have recently been sighted in the
Canadian part of the ecosystem, but no grizzly bears have
been sighted in the United States portion of the North
Cascades recovery area for several years.
• 81% agree with the following statement: Grizzly bears
are an important and essential component of the
North Cascades Ecosystem.
• 86% agree with the following statement: Grizzly
bears in the North Cascades Mountains should be
preserved for future generations.
Grizzly Bears and Recreation
The Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming has the
highest density of grizzly bears in the Lower 48. Even with
populations of several hundred bears, persistent access
closures are almost nonexistent and dangerous encounters
between humans and grizzly bears are exceedingly rare.
Given the low number of existing grizzly bears, their very
slow reproductive rate and other constraints, the North
Cascades grizzly bear population is considered the most atrisk grizzly bear population in the United States today. With
so few grizzly bears left in the North Cascades, biologists
believe they may soon disappear entirely from the area if
recovery actions aren’t taken.
Why Do We Need Grizzly Bears?
Grizzly bears are culturally and spiritually significant to
First Nations throughout the Pacific Northwest and British
Columbia. Grizzlies are seen as teachers, guides, and
symbols of strength and wisdom to aboriginal people. They
are a regional icon and a key part of our natural heritage.
Habitat that supports grizzly bears also supports
human needs like clean water, healthy forests, room
to roam, and quality outdoor opportunities.
Grizzly bears have been part of the Pacific Northwest
landscape for thousands of years. We have an ethical and
legal obligation to restore this native species.
Brochure produced in 2015 by Conservation Northwest, conservationnw.org
North Cascades grizzly bears have
been hunted and trapped nearly to
extirpation. Turn of the 19th century
photo taken near Chelan, WA.
A NPS map of the North Cascades
Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone. >
Grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades is an
important part of national efforts to restore endangered
animals where suitable habitat still exists.
Why Grizzly Bears in the North Cascades?
Grizzly bears have coexisted with people in the North
Cascades Ecosystem from when the first people arrived in
North America. This changed during the 19th century with the
boom in the fur trade. Nearly 3800 grizzly bear hides were
shipped out of area forts during a single 25-year period.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the North
Cascades Ecosystem as one of six Grizzly Bear Recovery
Zones, wild areas where there is abundant quality habitat
to support viable grizzly populations as part of a national
strategy to recover grizzly bears in the lower 48 states.
The public lands within the North Cascades Grizzly Bear
Recovery Zone (GBRZ) are already managed to maintain
critical grizzly bear habitat and allow for grizzly bear
recovery. Approximately 41% of the area is protected as
national park lands or designated wilderness. Adjacent is
North Cascades National Park is B.C.’s Manning Provincial
Park, which provides additional, quality grizzly bear habitat.
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