Newhouse to Biden Administration: Local Voices Must Be Heard on Grizzly Concerns

Press Release

Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service (NPS), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced they are once again initiating an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process with four upcoming virtual meetings to evaluate options for restoring and managing grizzly bears in the North Cascades of Washington.

"The introduction of grizzly bears into the North Cascades would directly, and negatively, impact the people and the communities I represent," said Rep. Newhouse. "My constituents and I have consistently opposed proposals to do so under multiple administrations because introducing an apex predator to the area would threaten the families, wildlife, and livestock of North Central Washington. It is disappointing that local voices are once again being ignored by federal bureaucrats, even after the last process was discontinued due to overwhelming local opposition. I strongly encourage the people of Central Washington to attend the virtual meetings in order to voice their opinion and put this misguided proposal to rest, once and for all."

The National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are hosting a series of four virtual public meetings to discuss grizzly bear restoration during the Public Scoping period, which runs from November 10-December 14, 2022. Each will present the same information and provide opportunity for questions.

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