The federal government plans to restore grizzly bears to an area of northwest and north-central Washington. Plans announced this week by the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service call for the release of three to seven bears a year for five to 10 years to achieve an initial population of 25. The aim is to restore the population in the region to 200 bears within 60 to 100 years. Grizzlies are considered threatened in the Lower 48. They currently occupy range in four of six established recovery areas in parts of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and northeast Washington. The Seattle Times reports it was not immediately clear when the restoration effort would begin.
