CONSERVATION GROUPS UPSET BY NORTH CASCADES GRIZZLY DECISION

SPOKANE, WASH.» The forested mountains in and around North Cascades National Park in north central Washington state have long been considered prime habitat for threatened grizzly bears, so environmental groups are upset the Trump administration scrapped plans to reintroduce the apex predators there.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt on Tuesday announced his agency will not conduct the environmental impact statement needed to move forward with the idea.

That drew rebukes from conservation groups, who have worked for decades to grow the tiny population of about 10 grizzlies in the vast North Cascades.

“Grizzlies have been an integral part of the North Cascades ecosystem for 20,000 years but are now one of the most threatened populations in North America,’’ said Rob Smith, northwest director of the National Parks Conservation Association. “This purely political decision ignores science, Park Service recommendations and overwhelming public support.”

Grizzly bears play a vital environmental role in the park and the broader ecosystem, Smith said. But there have been no verified sightings in the region in several years, raising concerns about their survival.

While Bernhardt pointed to local opposition to introducing bears into the North Cascades, Smith said a majority of Washington residents have supported the proposal in the past.

The Center for Biological Diversity also called the decision political. “Grizzly bears only occupy less than 5% of their historic range, and the North Cascades presents prime habitat for grizzly bears,’’ said Andrea Zaccardi, an attorney with the group. “Their recovery there is critical to the overall recovery of grizzly bears in the U.S.”

But Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican who represents central Washington in Congress, said local residents don’t want a larger population of grizzlies there.

“This announcement is welcomed by my constituents in central Washington who have consistently shared my same concerns about introducing an apex predator into the North Cascades,” Newhouse said.

Bernhardt’s announcement came at a meeting in Omak, Wash., 100 miles east of the national park, where opposition to the bears is strong.