DARRINGTON, Wash. — Grizzly bears once roamed the rugged landscape of the North Cascades in Washington state but few have been sighted in recent decades.
Federal officials want to restore the population.
People in Darrington are meeting Wednesday to hear a proposal to ship and release dozens of grizzly bears in the mountains nearby.
The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believe the environment in the North Cascades is improved when grizzlies live in the area because they dig the earth and move seeds and foliage, and even control other plant and animal populations.
Some people believe a new grizzly bear population may not mix with people.
The l Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service are considering four options, including taking no action.
Thr three alternatives seek to restore a population of about 200 bears, by relocating animals to 9,800 square miles of mostly public land in and around North Cascades National Park and letting them breed. The options differ in the number of bruins initially released and the time expected to get to that goal, ranging from 25 years for the expedited option to 60 to 100 years for the other two alternatives
The Associated Press contributed to this report.