Grizzly Reintroduction takes Public Comment

I'm Bob Larson. Hundreds used to call the North Cascades home, but if you live there now, how do you feel about the proposal to bring back the Grizzly Bear?

A series of open-house meetings to explain the proposal are being held this month to take public comments. The first one is tonight from 6 to 8pm at the Putnam Centennial Center in Cle Elum.

But, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says there will be more ...

DAN NEWHOUSE ... "On February 15th, an open-house will be held at the Winthrop Barn in Winthrop from 6pm til 8pm. On February 16th, an open-house will be held at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds Annex facility, also from 6pm til 8pm"

During his weekly radio address last week, Newhouse said these public comments, especially from local residents, are crucial to the process ...

DAN NEWHOUSE ... "It is not difficult to see why urban dwellers, hundreds of miles from Grizzly Bear habitat, would be enthusiastic and see higher numbers as an exciting development. After all, Grizzly Bears are all impressive wildlife, but ultimately, Central Washington residents are the ones being asked to live with these bears and their input should carry the most weight when it comes to increasing the number of Grizzlies."

The federal government listed grizzlies as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1975 prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify four potential recovery areas.

The North Cascades was added to the list in 1997, one year after what remains the area's last grizzly sighting.

The public comment period will remain open until March 14th