I am delighted to share this guest blog written by local conservation biologist, Gordon Congdon. I plan to virtually attend “online” at the Wenatchee Valley Museum’s presentation on Thursday, Nov. 4th!
In the pandemic summer of 2020, I determined to visit places that formerly were inhabited by grizzly bears. Grizzlies once roamed throughout the North Cascades but have disappeared in the last 25 years. The last verified grizzly sighting was in 1996 near Glacier Peak. So, I set out to visit places that used to be home for the great bear. I did not expect to find grizzlies, but I wanted to know why they were gone and ask – Could we bring them back?
One favorite place I visited was Fisher Creek, a stunningly beautiful valley in the North Cascades National Park, where the last grizzly known to have been killed in the North Cascades of Washington was shot in 1967. A year later, in 1968, Fisher Creek became part of the newly designated North Cascades National Park.
Another favorite place was Entiat Meadows at the head of the Entiat River. There are many historical accounts of grizzlies in Entiat Meadows, the last from 1991. The headwaters of the White River, the Chiwawa River and the Entiat River were last refuges for grizzly bears in our region. There were many historical sightings from Glacier Peak to the West to the Sawtooth Range east of Lake Chelan.
Could we bring them back? Yes, we know how to do this. Grizzlies are recovering in four of the six Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem, and the Selkirk Ecosystem. Grizzlies are not recovering in the North Cascades Ecosystem and the Bitterroot Ecosystem, but only because recovery plans in those places have been put on hold.
Should we bring them back? The answer is up to us. Want to learn more about grizzly recovery in the North Cascades?
You’re invited to join us online Thursday, November 4th for a family friendly presentation and film “Why Bears?” with Dr. Chris Servheen.
Dr. Servheen has crawled into dens, smelled their hot breath, and has many stories to tell about being up close and personal with grizzly bears. He knows the science and the species, working with grizzly bears for the US Fish and Wildlife Service for over 35 years as the agency’s first and only Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator.
Dr. Servheen has witnessed how folks in Montana and the intermountain west have successfully coexisted with recovering grizzly bear populations – and knows that grizzly recovery can work here too. His presentation will consider worldwide efforts to conserve bears and address exciting efforts to restore grizzly bears in the North Cascades.
Event Details
WHAT: Why Bears? With Dr. Chris Servheen
WHEN: November 4th, 2021 at 7:00PM Pacific
WHO: You, National Parks Conservation Association, & Dr. Chris Servheen! Hosted by the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center