DARRINGTON — Planning for increasing the grizzly bear population in the North Cascades ecosystem are resuming after the Trump administration put a halt to the work in 2017.
The plans have been met by some opposition in communities near where new bears may be introduced. Darrington is one of those places, and a public meeting here in 2017 drew hundreds of people. There are concerns that adding bears to the wilderness could interfere with efforts to boost the economy through outdoor recreation and timber harvests.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke visited Sedro Woolley Friday to announce support for the plans.
“Restoring the grizzly bear to the North Cascades ecosystem is the American conservation ethic come to life,” he said in a news release.
The permanent loss of grizzly bears would be devastating, he said. The North Cascades ecosystem was shaped by the large, roaming predators.
More than 125,000 comments have been received on the options being considered, which include suggestions to introduce new bears in the coming years.
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