9
maintain sites that lie outside of the current study area established by the North Cascades Wolverine Study and
focus on locations where ongoing researchers have made specific requests to complement their efforts. A few of
our volunteers have also become involved and are sharing data with us from the Multi-State Gulo gulo Study
through their survey area at Mountaineers Creek. All highlights and data associated with that project will be
reported on and communicated through the Multi-State Study. We look forward to providing support and
continued collaboration with larger regional studies such as this one.
GRIZZLY BEAR MONITORING
At one time grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) roamed throughout the wild areas of Washington. After their near
extirpation from the lower 48 states in the 1800's, grizzly bears were listed as endangered under the Endangered
Species Act in 1975
11
. In 1997, the North Cascades, along with five other recovery zones, was identified as a key
area for recovery of the endangered bear species and designated as a federal Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone.
12
Now,
20 years after the recovery plan was written, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are in
the midst of an important public process to explore options for recovering grizzly bears in the North Cascades.
13
Despite anecdotal reports of grizzlies in the North Cascades and recent confirmed sightings in British Columbia, no
population or individual has been confirmed in the Washington portion of the ecosystem since 1996
14
. Based on
expert opinion and a database of sightings, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believe there are fewer than 10
grizzly bears remaining in Washington's North Cascades ecosystem
15
. As of 2012, the British Columbia Ministry of
Environment estimates there are six grizzly bears in the Canadian North Cascades
16
.
In 2010, with oversight from the North Cascades Interagency Grizzly Bear Subcommittee, the Cascade Carnivore
Connectivity Project (CCCP) and other project partners began an extensive survey to detect grizzlies potentially
occupying Washington's North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE)
17
. The efforts of the CCCP covered approximately 25%
of the NCE and did not detect photographic or genetic evidence of grizzly bears in the study area. Continued
monitoring in the area assists the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in evaluating options
for grizzly bear restoration in the region. CWMP's effort to detect grizzly bears in the NCE was designed to
complement the work already carried out by the CCCP. Survey locations are selected based on the sampling
11
Grizzly Bears and the Endangered Species Act, National Parks Service:
http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/bearesa.htm
12
Servheen, C. 1997. Grizzly bear recovery plan: North Cascades ecosystem recovery plan chapter. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Missoula, MT.
13
North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact Statement:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=44144
14
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/endangered/species/grizzly_bear.pdf
15
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species Assessment and Listing Priority Assignment Form:
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/species/uplisting/doc4748.pdf
16
British Columbia Grizzly Bear Population Estimate for 2012:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/docs/Grizzly_Bear_Pop_Est_Report_Final_2012.pdf
17
Cascades Carnivore Connectivity Project Grizzly Bear Survey:
http://www.cascadesconnectivity.org/research/grizzly-bear-survey/
