Op-ed for Grizzlies in Seattle Times

Photo: Woodland Park Zoo

Grizzly bear restoration has been a long time in coming to the North Cascades, where the absence of these iconic animals denotes a dark period in the relationship between people and wildness. Grizzlies roamed this rugged region for thousands of years but were hunted and persecuted off the map in the 19th century—along with other carnivores whose ecological, cultural, and intrinsic values were brutally disregarded. Rarely do we have a chance to rewind and rewild at such a grand scale.

Last month, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to revive grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades Ecosystem. Previous efforts to explore bringing grizzlies home were quashed by politics and put on the shelf. Fortunately, their shelf life has yet to expire and they’re being given a fresh chance.

In my conservation role with Woodland Park Zoo, I recently co-authored an op-ed for the Seattle Times with Robert Long, my colleague and husband. Not surprisingly, the op-ed has generated a lot of interest. You can read the piece on the newspaper’s website here.

Also, National Public Radio broadcasted an informative story on this topic just yesterday—well worth a listen.

And please take the time to learn more about the recovery process by reviewing agency documents. You can make public comments through the official portal until December 14.

One day, I hope to hike in the North Cascades knowing that grizzly bears are back where they belong. Isn’t that what it means to co-exist with wildness?