The Cascades grizzly bear needs our help to recover

Jump start a recovery plan for Cascades grizzly bears

Cascades grizzly bear just over the Canadian border, captured on remote camera Within the continental United States, grizzly bears have been lost from all but five areas or recovery zones. In 1975 they were put under the umbrella of protection under the Endangered Species Act. Grizzly bears are themselves an "umbrella" species for other wildlife and their presence an indicator of the health of ecosystems.

Washington's North Cascades is one of those recovery zones, with an estimated fewer than 10 grizzly bears remaining. Today, the future for Cascades grizzlies hovers on a knife's edge.

A recovery plan was created in 1997 to save the bear. It's a plan the US Fish and Wildlife Service has yet to put into action. You can help. Urge the agency to implement the North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Your message will be delivered to US Fish and Wildlife Service officials, including Pacific Region, Regional Director Robyn Thorson, Assistant Director Mike Roy, and Manager Ken Berg.

Personalizing your letter makes it stand out and truly makes a difference. Thank you!

In 2010, a hiker took a confirmed photo of a Cascades grizzly bear. We know they are there! Let bears know you are there for them.

Read a letter from the first superintendent of North Cascades National Park.

Subject:

Your Letter:

Dear Regional Director Robyn Thorson,

I am deeply worried about the future of North Cascades grizzly bears, and I urge you to implement a recovery plan already in place to protect and recover these bears now.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has acknowledged that the North Cascades grizzly bear population - with likely fewer than 10 bears remaining - is in imminent danger of extinction. Climate change is making the path to recovery even harder for Washington’s bears. They desperately need us to throw them a lifeline.

The good news is that an achievable recovery plan for North Cascades grizzly bears has been in place, thanks to your agency, for many years. It needs simply to be put into action.

In public surveys conducted by the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project, 79% of people asked, all living near the North Cascades, supported grizzly bear recovery. The grizzly bear symbolizes American independence and a healthy, functioning grizzly bear population epitomizes wilderness.

We do not want our Cascades bears to become the "last bears." Our legacy must be one of conservation and restoration, not extinction. I urge you to implement the North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan.

Sincerely,

Ken Berg Manager

Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Office

Fax:(360) 753-9405

Robyn Thorson Regional Director

Pacific Region, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Mike Roy Assistant Regional Director

Pacific Region, US Fish and Wildlife Service

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