Recovering a North American icon

The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the few remaining populations of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states. Today grizzly bears live in the continental US in only five areas: the Greater Yellowstone area, Northern Continental Divide, Selkirk Mountains, Cabinet-Yaak Mountains, and the North Cascades. (Along with the Bitteroot ecosystem in Idaho, in which grizzlies are thought to be extirpated, these are all officially recognized "Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones".)

Send a letter for grizzly bears

Sign a petition for grizzly bear recovery

Read signatories of a grizzly bear sign-on letter

The US government has had a recovery plan since 1997, but to date the most important part of the plan has not been implemented–to start a public process under the guidance of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that will lead to the addition of a small number of bears from a more robust population into the North Cascades.

For much more information on bears, visit the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project.

Current population

In 1975, the grizzly bear was federally listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a “threatened” species in the United States outside Alaska. The US and British Columbia governments estimate that there are likely fewer than 25 grizzly bears living in the US and Canadian North Cascades. Most likely the home ranges of a small number of grizzly bears span the border.

Credible sightings and/or tracks in the North Cascades occur every year. Grizzly bears are most often found on upper elevation mountain slopes, in avalanche chutes, and in lower elevation wetlands. Though their range tends to be higher in elevation than that of black bears, which are abundant in WA, there is also much habitat overlap.

North Cascades: Important recovery area

The North Cascades ecosystem is the second largest of the six recovery zones.

The NC recovery zone includes North Cascades National Park and much of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Wenatchee, and Okanogan National Forests. This habitat is 90% federally and state owned: 40% is federally protected wilderness and 72% has Forest Service roadless status, which is key to grizzly bear survival.

Getting started

Government biologists have found that the North Cascades ecosystem has sufficient quantity and quality of habitat to support a self-sustaining population of grizzly bears.

Given their dangerously low numbers and very slow reproductive rate, (second only to the musk ox among North American land mammals), full recovery could take up to a century to achieve. Moreover, the planning and NEPA process will take 3 to 5 years. Let's get started now.

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!