North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Area

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All grizzly bears in the lower forty-eight states were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1975—the term “threatened species” means any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.  In response to the listing and recognition that action was needed to ensure that grizzly bears in the lower forty-eight do not go extinct, the original Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan was approved on January 29, 1982 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Fish and Wildlife)—the Recovery Plan was revised in 1993. Recovery plans for 4 ecosystems were included in the 1993 revision—Yellowstone, Northern Continental Divide, Selkirk, and Cabinet-Yaak.    A recovery plan chapter was approved for the Bitterroot Ecosystem in 1996.

A 1997 supplement to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan was approved June 23, 1997, which added Tthe North Cascades  Recovery Plan Chapter. 

North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone
(Taken from 1993 Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan)

Scenes From The North Cascades Highway

Note: All images below are thumbnails. Click on image for larger view.

The North Cascades Highway provides easy access to lots of beautiful country. It also cuts North Cascades National Park right in half and creates a significant barrier for the movement of grizzly bears and other wildlife. According to a National Park Service worker at the Newhalem Visitor Center (8/25/2000), there hasn't been a confirmed grizzly bear sighting on the U.S. side of the North Cascades in more than 2 years. Recent DNA studies involving the collection and analysis of hair and scat samples have not been successful at documenting the presence of grizzlies. See meeting notes below for more information.

The clouds moving between, around, and above the peaks provided many views of these spectacular mountains.

Then--there are the dams, power houses, and transmission lines. Ross Dam on the upper Skagit River forms Ross Lake which winds about 25 miles to the Washington/British Columbia border.

Ruby Arm of Ross Lake

Southern Part of North Cascades National Park

Our trip into Horseshoe basin in southern North Cascades National Park was a long one. It involved something like a 3-hour drive, a 3-hour ferry boat ride on Lake Chelan, a 3 or 4-hour ride in a National Park Service shuttle van over a 23-mile long bumpy road, and a 3-mile hike. Efforts to conduct a mining operation in the area in the early 1900s failed. We entered the old mine to get out of the rain and had lunch. The tracks and some old equipment were still there when we visited in the late 80s.

Horseshoe Basin

The North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Management Subcommittee

The next North Cascades Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for November 15, 2000, in North Bend, Washington at the Forest Service Ranger District Office.

*Note: Here are excerpts of meeting minutes taken from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee web site:

Meeting Minutes
January 26, 2000
Wenatchee, Washington

Winter Meeting Update

Bob Everitt passed out notes from winter meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  IGBC reviewed work plans, but did not recommend priorities for recovery at this time.   Most of the discussion for the North Cascades revolved around need for starting EIS process. Matt Austin thought IGBC would make priorities within one or two years, but since no funding is available prioritization is not useful at this point.  British Columbia will augment next year according to BC recovery plan if funding is available.  Gerry recommended that the Subcommittee write a letter to FWS Regional Director requesting funding for EIS in North Cascades so can get into budget process for funding in 2002.  FWS will draft a letter for subcommittee signatures.  Matt discussed up and coming spring trapping effort in BC May target date, could use more funding for monitoring.

Connectivity Research

Peter Singleton described study looking at potential for dispersal of large carnivores to move from Selkirks and BC to North Cascades.  Boundary for study area includes entire North Cascades recovery zone.  Want to develop a regional connectivity scale model, looking at road density, major interstate highways, human population densities, land use, land cover and topographic barriers to movement.  Look at habitat availability under Forest Plan for grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines and lynx. Identify regional core areas and dispersal habitat available between core areas.  Can identify topographic resistance between core areas. Will look at land cover maps that cover both sides of border; coarser level of detail than grizzly bear habitat mapping project currently underway on US and BC sides.  Linkage between grizzly bear core areas in BC not well understood, may find that BC and US need to partner for dispersal to occur between countries.

North Cascades Grizzly Bear Hair Snare Study

Kim Romaine relayed that the suspect grizzly bear hair sample is not confirmed due to third and fourth trials being inconclusive.  Fifty snare sites were established; 27 in early season habitat, 23 in late season habitat.  Hair was collected every two weeks. DNA extracted from hair follicle only.  492 samples analyzed for species identification, individual identification, sex, and level of genetic diversity.  Have 1 possible wolf hair and 1 possible wolverine hair yet to be analyzed.  Matt Austin relayed that BC has DNA evidence for one female grizzly as well as confirmed sighting of female with cubs in BC portion of North Cascades. Craig Miller form University of Idaho is looking at historic samples from North Cascades (Smithsonian Institute samples); preliminary information indicates that North Cascades grizzly bear population appears to be unique in lower US; may be founder population. Kim saw one suspect grizzly track in study area.  Matt recommended that funding be put into flying to verify presence, or use of scat sniffing dogs (Sam Wasser). Kim’s study for yr 2000 field work under-funded at this time; Subcommittee recommended that the technical committee meet and make a recommendation to the subcommittee re where to go from here re potential funding and direction for Kim’s project.

Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area

Mount Stuart From the Stuart Lake Trail

My wife and I took our daughters hiking and camping from the time they were born. One of their first backpack trips was in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness when they were about ages 9 and 10. They carried a small pack with sleeping bag, clothes, and probably a couple of stuffed animals. We were all crying by the time we reached Colchuck Lake, but it was worth it.

Colchuck Lake sits beneath Aasgard Pass which offers a challenging route to an area called the Enchantments--permit required and a bit crowded.

Colchuck Lake

For more information on grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades (and other areas) go to the IGBC's Grizzly Tracks.

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