Griz connectivity from Canada down into Washington and Oregon on across and down the Rockies

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9/1/2010 11:38:00 AM      As part of a study to determine the status of grizzlies in the North Cascades, various snares have been set up in likely habitat areas, high in the mountains. The snares use barbed wire to snag fur from the bears. Grizzlies can be identified through DNA analysis. Grizzly bear study underway in Cascades Ian Dunn Staff Writer Editor's note: this is part one of a two-part series. How many people have told you there are indeed Grizzly bears in the North Cascade Mountains? Shoot, some people will tell you they have even seen them. Hmmmmm, oh really. Fact is, Grizzlies were nearly hunted to extinction in the North Cascades by the late 1800s, and have been a struggling population ever since. Though the Black bear population seems to be thriving in Washington state, the Grizzlies are nowhere to be found. Interestingly, it is the thriving Black bear population that leads to the vast majority of mistaken Grizzly bear sightings. Bill Gaines, wildlife biologist and noted bear expert with the Wenatchee and Okanogan National Forest, says they always follow up on Grizzly bear sightings. "None have been reliable," he said. "I think the habitat is good. We have good healthy Black bear populations. We have not had many good Grizzly bear sightings." Black bears are often mistaken for Grizzlies because many Black bears are not actually black. Gaines said of all the Black bears they have trapped and tagged for the past three years, 70 percent were not black. In fact, there has been only one confirmed Grizzly in the North Cascade in the past 10 years, and that was on the Canadian side of the border, which is part of the so-called Grizzly Bear Recovery Area. Now, a new study is underway to identify Grizzlies in the North Cascades and determine the extent of their range. It is a joint effort between the Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Western Transportation Institute. The study area comprises some 9,500 square miles in North Central Washington. Gaines says the study has two primary purposes. "The one of the most interest is the effort to get more on the status of Grizzly bears in the Cascades," he said. "We've put in for funding to use particular methods on where they are and where they might be." The study is focusing on getting some genetic material from the bears, and using that to conduct a DNA analysis. In the lab, scientists can tell the difference between a Black bear and a Grizzly, simply by using hair samples. To get the hair samples, Gaines says they extend strands of barbed wire into a 30 foot circle, about knee high. It's sorting of a meeting between old and new technologies here, since barbed wire has been snagging animal hair for the past 150 years or so. Some stinky stuff is placed in the middle of barbed wire circle to attract the bear. Whichever way the bear goes, over or under the wire, some hair is going to be snagged. Plus, there are motion sensitive cameras in place at some of the sites as well. "We put these sites out there and spread them out to maximize where we look," Gaines said. "We check in two weeks and then re-bait them. Then, we pull the sites and move them. We have 70 sites right now and are hoping to get 50 more." Some of these sites are in very remote areas, which Gaines says are very challenging to get to, especially carrying heavy packs. There are four or five crews scattered around the Cascades doing the work. "We will analyze the video in early October," he said. "Late winter or early spring, we will get the DNA data back." The current study is only funded for one year. Once the current study is completed, Gaines is hoping to get grants to continue the study for another couple years. He feels the extra two years is important to adequately gauge the Grizzly population in the North Cascades. The last confirmed Grizzly sighting in the area was 1996 in the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area. Even though the Grizzlies have been protected in Canada and United State for decades, the population has not seemed to recover. Only 25 to 30 Grizzlies are thought remain in the Cascades. "This is a listed species and this is an effort to recover them," Gaines said. "Part is trying to understand their status. What will eventually happen is these recovery options would be evaluated in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). But right now we don't have the funding to take on that EIS." The North Cascades recovery area is enormous, one of the largest contiguous blocks of federal land in the lower 48 states. It stretches from the Canadian board to I-90. It includes the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and North Cascades National Park. Most lies in remote areas like the Pasayten, Alpine Lakes and Glacier Peak Wilderness areas. "We are looking for a needle in a haystack," he said. "We would be very lucky to get something. There is just so few bears in such a big area. If we can go for three years, then are chance go up." The second objective of the study is to chart the movement of not just Grizzlies, but all bears, to see how our cross state highways affect the movement of wildlife. We will explore this aspect of the study in part two of the story next week. Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com