The National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service heard from some 2,900 people across the U.S. and as far away as Australia about how the agenices might reintroduce endangered grizzly bears to the North Cascades, according to The Herald. (The agencies' recent report is here.) Washington has about 9,800 square miles to offer as possible habitat, and British Columbia, which is also studying restoration, has about 3,800.
The majority of comments favored reintroduction of grizzlies, while 285 expressed concerns. One commenter said the bears "have a special right to sufficient habitat in this important ecosystem," while another wrote, "do you seriously not care about people being mauled or killed?” But it might not get scary soon: One study estimates that it would take 50 to 125 years to establish a self-sustainable grizzly population.
