Public meetings on North Cascades grizzly bears announced

Conservation groups call for a show of support for restoring a Northwest native

Today, Feb 13th, the National Park Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the official start of a public process to plan for the restoration of a grizzly bear population in Washington’s North Cascades Ecosystem.

Conservation groups were thrilled that the announcement, part of the Grizzly Bear Restoration
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for the North Cascades Ecosystem, marks the first formal step in the recovery of an important native species on the brink of disappearing in the Pacific Northwest. Public engagement is the next step in a three-year process that the agencies announced in August of 2014.

A public comment period will be open through March 26, 2015. Comments can be made during a series of open houses, online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEG, or via regular mail or hand delivery at: Superintendent’s Office, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284.

The public open houses will be held at:

• Tuesday, March 3rd in Winthrop from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Red Barn Upper Meeting Room
• Wednesday, March 4th in Okanogan from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Okanogan PUD Meeting Room
• Thursday, March 5th in Wenatchee from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Chelan County PUD Auditorium
• Monday, March 9th in Cle Elum from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Putnam Centennial Center Meeting Room
• Tuesday, March 10th in Seattle from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Seattle Pacific University Bertona, Classroom 1
• Wednesday, March 11th in Bellingham from 5-7:30 p.m. in the Bellingham Central Library Lecture Room

Conservation organizations such as NCCC urge the public to attend these meetings and share their support for restoring this vital native species!