Last week Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced that he would resurrect the Obama-era plan to introduce grizzly bears into the Northern Cascades in Washington state. This seems like a bad idea from the get-go. Ranchers in the area have enough problems with wolves, which have been destroying cattlemen’s profits on public and private lands, and wolves are protected beyond belief.
Zinke’s desire to reintroduce the bears appeared to come out of left field. No one has heard any discussions about the idea recently and certainly didn’t expect it on top of all the other initiatives he has taken on.
Apparently, Zinke feels that he has a narrow window of opportunity to reintroduce the bears, doing it the “right way,” whatever that may mean. Zinke said at a press conference, “I grew up on the flanks of Glacier National Park and I have dealt with grizzly bears all my life. I’m in support of the great bear and in support of doing this right. This is not reintroduction of a rabbit. Doing it wrong can adversely affect visitors hiking the park and other users. But, I am confident we can reintroduce the grizzly bear back to this ecosystem. I have always loved grizzlies.”
Ethan Lane, executive director of Public Lands Council for NCBA, said, “For more than a year we have heard the secretary talk about being a better neighbor, but unfortunately actions speak louder than words. Reintroducing as many as 200 man-eating predators into an area already reeling from exploding gray wolf populations is anything but neighborly.”
He continued, “This decision won’t just impact ranchers—it’s a blow for the entire North Cascades Ecosystem, the safety of locals and visitors, and the local economy, too. In fact, the only beneficiaries of an action like this will be the radical environmental activists that support this type of ill-advised ecosystem tinkering.”
Zinke also said that there would be a learning curve to accommodate the bear, as people learn what they are to do and not do. It’s time for land managers to look ahead 100 years, and connect wildlife corridors and landscapes and yes, bring back the bear.
Which brings us back to his Secretarial Order 3362, which he signed during the Western Conservation and Hunting Expo in Salt Lake City early in February. His Order 3362 will improve habitat quality and western big game winter range and migration corridors for antelope, elk and mule deer.
The order seeks to improve collaboration between states, private landowners and facilitates—all parties using the best available science to enhance the development of robust big game populations—primarily in Western Livestock Journal country.
Zinke explained, “The Interior Department will leverage its land management and scientific expertise to both study the migration habits of wildlife as well as identify ways to improve the habitat. For example, this can be done by working with ranchers to modify their fences, working with states to collaborate on sagebrush restoration, or working with scientists to better understand migration routes.”
This appears to be more government rhetoric: We’re here to help! But just what is the right way to manage the grizzly bear? When it comes to expanding game corridors, ranchers will have to watch out for your valuable winter country in the West. It seems we may start to see game bridges and tunnels be developed for game to cross Interstate highways because the Interstate System is the most limiting and dangerous aspect of game corridors. Do you really want big game going anywhere they desire? That will inevitably be where the best feed is. Then let’s talk about fire mitigation. These megafires have certainly limited the rangeability of big game and destroyed small game and their habitat.
Then let’s talk about how much damage the gray wolf and the Yellowstone grizzly bear have done to elk herds in the Northern Rockies. We must realize we’re never going back to the Teddy Roosevelt days of open space and unlimited game. Roosevelt wasn’t a conservationist of game; he was a killer of game back in the 1880s. And the population demands of our natural resources are vastly different today.
The other day I spoke with Len McIrvin, who ranches in the Northern Cascades, about the current wolf issue and the idea that grizzly bears were coming. He said that wolves cost him 70 head of cattle this past year, roughly $70,000 in depredation damages.
If this thing goes forward we need to talk about the environmental community posting depredation bonds on these projects, just as miners post reclamation bonds to mine and recover minerals. No one should get a free ride for the sake of the ecosystem. Food for thought. — PETE CROW
