By Samuel Bess
For The Herald
In a July 10 guest commentary in the Stanwood Camano News (“Let’s not bring back grizzlies”), Snohomish County Council Commissioner Nate Nehring has shown us where his political heart lies. I am saddened because I voted for this guy.
“I have heard concerns from constituents and local community leaders about the reintroduction of grizzly bears to our region,” Nehring says, without specifying who is concerned. He goes on to say there are worries that the natural ecosystem is not sufficient to support a growing population … and could negatively impact our region with an increase.
The current North Cascades ecosystem has no grizzly bears and is considered prime habitat.
The draft environmental impact statement Nehring names provided a comment period that ended April 28, 2017, on grizzly bear restoration. It recorded over 126,000 comments submitted to the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife. More than 86 percent of the comments supported restoration of the grizzlies using Alternative C, incremental restoration.
In March this year, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he supports the restoration of grizzlies in the North Cascades. Over 35 nonprofit national organizations and every Native American tribal agency in the state support this endeavor.
So, now, Nehring comes forth without facts, without history of this issue, and touting eastern 4th Congressional District lame duck Dan Newhouse and saying the fight is not over. Newhouse does not represent our constituency and only 50 percent of his district is impinged habitat (mostly high deserts).
What fight? One must really wonder why at this late date Nehring is up on his high horse.
Here are some facts he has not mentioned. Only two grizzlies in the past 10 years, as of 2015, have been spotted in the North Cascades north of our border in British Columbia. None have actually been documented as having been seen here. Grizzlies are listed as federally threatened. Washington state has them listed as endangered. They, like the wolves, are a vital part of a healthy ecosystem.
Grizzly bear cubs have a 50 percent death rate in their first three years. Assuming a male is in their range of 600 square miles to mate with, female grizzlies give birth between ages 6 to 10, and only once in three years. If food sources of bugs, berries, roots and bulbs, as well as other dead animals and fish, are not adequate, they will not bear cubs.
These bears den up on the north slopes from October through December and hibernate until mid-April through May. This gives them only six months of awake exposure during the year. They feed mostly on avalanche chutes and in valley bottoms in June and July, then go higher up for the berries before den time.
So, where is this “concern” coming from now that all the comment periods are over with? Nehring does not say. For current facts, go to NorthCascadesGrizzly.org and see for yourself that his commentary is without merit. Unfortunately, it sounds like a lot of hot air with a distinct absence of facts and transparency.
Samuel Bess is from Stanwood.
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