In November 2022, the National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service initiated an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process to evaluate options for restoring and managing grizzly bears in the North Cascades Ecosystem of Washington state, where the animals once thrived.
The EIS process sought to identify a range of alternatives for restoring the bears to the mountainous region to support the recovery and eventual delisting of grizzly bears under the Endangered Species Act in the contiguous United States.
The process also explored a potential 10(j) experimental population designation from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which provides land managers with additional options for managing animals. Learn more about 10(j) experimental population designations
Current Status: on April 25, 2024, the two agencies announced a Record of Decision to actively restore grizzly bears to the ecosystem. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service intends to publish a final 10(j) rule in coming days.
Go to the EIS Project Homepage
View documents and learn about the project process at the link above.
News Releases
4/25/24- Agencies announce decision to restore grizzly bears to North Cascades
10/13/23- Additional public meetings scheduled on options for restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades
9/28/23- Public comments sought on options for restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades
Recent Documents
View the Record of Decision (April 2024), final EIS (March 2024) and the proposed 10(j) rule (September 2023)
Frequently Asked Questions
Restoration FAQs Proposed 10(j) Rule FAQs
Get answers to some of the most common questions about the restoration and proposed 10(j) rule
Informational Presentation
View a video of an informational presentation from October 2023 on the draft EIS and proposed 10(j) rule (comment period now closed)
