"Feds To Look at Restoring Grizzly Bears To Pacific Northwest"

"SEATTLE -- Nearly four decades after grizzly bears were declared threatened in the Lower 48 states, long-stalled efforts to bring the species back to Washington's North Cascades are rolling again.

The federal government announced Thursday that it will launch an environmental analysis this fall to evaluate strategies to boost bear numbers. Among the options on the table, the most controversial is the possibility of transplanting grizzlies from healthy populations elsewhere.

'This is huge news for the Pacific Northwest and for grizzly bears,' said Joe Scott of Conservation Northwest, which has been pushing to restore grizzlies for 25 years. 'This is the turning point.'  "

Sandi Doughton reports for the Seattle Times August 21, 2014.