On July 7, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it will not move forward with a new Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan and associated environmental impact statement for the North Cascades Ecosystem. The Department had initiated an environmental review process in February 2015 under the previous administration, however the current administration began a public review process of the plan starting in 2017. They hosted numerous public meetings, Tribal consultations and more than 70 stakeholder briefings where they received “overwhelming opposition” to the plan.

“Representative Newhouse has been a tireless advocate for his community and his constituents regarding plans to reintroduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades Ecosystem,” said Interior Secretary David Bernhardt during a community roundtable in Omak, Washington. “The Trump Administration is committed to being a good neighbor, and the people who live and work in north central Washington have made their voices clear that they do not want grizzly bears reintroduced into the North Cascades. Grizzly bears are not in danger of extinction, and Interior will continue to build on its conservation successes managing healthy grizzly bear populations across their existing range.”