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“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 Facebook: 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. Over >