The National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have initiated an environmental impact statement (EIS) process to determine how to proceed with recovery of grizzly bears in the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE) in north central Washington. The USDA Forest Service and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are cooperators on the EIS. Without active recovery efforts, the FWS predicts that the population is likely to disappear. The EIS will explore a number of options from "no action" to restoration of bears into the area. Initial public scoping that was completed in March identified both support for and opposition to restoration of grizzly bears as well as a number of issues for the EIS to consider. Formal alternatives will be developed later this year and a draft EIS will likely be released in 2016. A final decision is not expected until 2017.

The NCE is one of five recovery zones in the FWS' Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. The NCE consists of about 9,800 square miles in northcentral Washington, centered on North Cascades National Park. Over 97 percent of the NCE is public land ? more than 40 percent of the NCE is classified as National Park or National Forest Wilderness and about 72 percent currently has no motorized access. This makes the NCE one of the largest blocks of pristine grizzly bear habitat in the lower 48 states.

Historically, the NCE had a robust grizzly bear population. Grizzly bears were important to the ecology of the region as well as the culture of Native people of the region. The fur trade in the 1800s greatly reduced numbers and continued human-caused mortality further suppressed the population throughout the 1900s. Only occasional sightings or other evidence of grizzly bears has been documented since 1967. Surveys across approximately 20 percent of the NCE during the past two years using hair snares did not find any evidence of grizzlies. The FWS believes only a small number of bears remain in the most remote parts of the NCE and that the population faces a high likelihood of extinction. Though listed as "threatened" along with all other grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states, the North Cascades population was found to be "warranted" for up-listing to "endangered" in 2014. A formal status change, however, is precluded by other, higher priority listing actions.

Across the border in British Columbia (B.C.), there are approximately 3,800 square miles of additional, potential grizzly bear habitat adjacent to the NCE. However, Tony Hamilton, Large Carnivore Specialist with the Conservation Science Section of the B.C. Ministry of Environment, reported that grizzly bear numbers are also very low and likely declining in the B.C. portion of the Cascades. In addition, Mr. Hamilton explained that habitat in B.C. adjacent to the NCE is isolated from areas with healthy grizzly bear populations to the north by human development in the Fraser valley. That makes recovery on both sides of the border even more difficult.

No target population size for recovery has been established, but the FWS estimates the area could eventually support a self-sustaining population of 200 ? 400 grizzlies based on habitat studies completed in the 1990s. Until now, recovery efforts in the NCE have been limited to evaluating habitat potential, public outreach to prevent human-caused mortality or human-bear conflicts, and monitoring bear numbers. As reported last July by the Wildlife Management Institute, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee decided to explore a more active approach to recovery in the NCE through an EIS process.

The NPS and FWS launched the EIS process earlier this year by hosting six open houses in communities surrounding the NCE in March, 2015. These sessions were designed to inform people about grizzly bear history, current status and recovery in the NCE; to explain the EIS process; and to gather public input on issues of concern. The venues for the open houses were as diverse as the audiences, ranging from the large urban centers of Seattle and Bellingham on the west to the small rural communities of Cle Elum, Winthrop, and Okanagan on the east. About 500 people came to the open houses. The agencies also solicited written input online and received about 2,900 comments.

Public comments ranged from strong support for moving forward with restoration of bears to ensure and accelerate recovery, to strong opposition to any plans to bring grizzly bears into the NCE. Commenters raised a number of issues that will need to be addressed in the EIS, including: safely living and recreating in bear country; positive and negative impacts to visitor experience; potential conflicts with agriculture and ranching/livestock operations; effects of recovery on access; socioeconomic issues (e.g., tourism and ranching/farming); cultural and historic importance of grizzlies; beneficial and adverse effects of recovery on other species and habitat; the value of grizzly bears to the wilderness character of the NCE; and the costs and benefits in relation to management of resources and land, both public and private. A complete summary of public comments is available on the EIS process website.

The EIS team will analyze the public input along with information on grizzly bear biology, the ecology of the NCE, as well as other factors to develop a range of alternatives over the coming months. The alternatives will include a "no action" alternative as well as others that could include active restoration of grizzly bears into the NCE. One issue that will have to be addressed is whether any bears that might be brought into the NCE would be classified as "threatened" ? as the population currently is ? or could be classified as "experimental" under Section 10(j) of the ESA. The latter could provide more management flexibility for dealing with any conflicts that might arise.

The draft EIS is projected to be published in the summer of 2016. A final EIS and record of decision are not expected until 2017.

Monitor progress on the EIS here.