Grizzly Bears in the Cascades?

Grizzly bears are intelligent, strong, and courageous. They have lived in the Cascades for thousands of years. But the only population of grizzlies outside of the Rocky Mountains, the North Cascades grizzly, is in desperate trouble, its population dwindling.

Click here to learn what you can do for Cascades grizzly bears

With likely fewer than 20 grizzlies in the Cascades of Washington and British Columbia, the population won't recover without the addition of a small number of bears from larger grizzly populations to help start the long road to recovery–a road that will take our bears a century to travel.

A recovery plan has been in place since 1997, but the federal government hasn't yet begun to implement it. That won't happen without public pressure. It will take citizens convincing the US Fish and Wildlife Service that the extinction of this unique population is not an option. People have brought these bears to the brink of extinction and people have the power to bring them back.

Why recover grizzly bears?

Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), the very symbol of American wilderness, once roamed over most of western North America, from the mountains of Mexico to the high plains to the Pacific Coast. No other animal excites the American imagination like the Great Bear. The grizzly and the values it represents have also figured prominently in First Nations' cultures for thousands of years, and grizzly bears have long been honored and respected for their intelligence and strength.

The grizzly bear is not only a symbol of core American values but also a barometer of the health of big wild areas. A landscape healthy and wild enough to support grizzlies will support a host of other native plants and animals and important ecosystem services such as clean water and the wilderness experience.

Grizzly bear recovery in Washington

Our governments are legally obligated and the people in Washington State and British Columbia have a unique responsibility and opportunity to recover the grizzly bear. Independent polls show public support for grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades that transcends geographic and demographic lines.

In a poll conducted in 2005, a majority of people living in or near the northwest portion of the North Cascades recovery zone stated strong support for grizzly bear recovery. In general, 79% of those polled support grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascade mountains.

As the regional leader in grizzly bear recovery, Conservation Northwest volunteers and staff educate and advocate for grizzly bear conservation to protect this beautiful animal, conduct field work in the North Cascades, and help build citizen support for the Endangered Species Act  

Our enormous gratitude to Senator Erik Poulsen and Senator Lisa Brown for their continued support of grizzly bear recovery education in the North Cascades. Their commitment to the people and wild places of Washington is appreciated by us all!