The federal agencies responded that the goal population for the North Cascades is substantially less than the population in both Yellowstone and Glacier national parks and the probability of conflict would be less than in those parks.

In Yellowstone, seven people have been killed by the bears since the park was established in 1872.

The agencies also responded to concerns about grizzlies' impacts on livestock, and on threatened species like wolverines and salmon, as well as hikers.

Ultimately, federal agencies landed on a reintroduction plan that relaxes the protections granted under the Endangered Species Act, and allows officials to intervene if human-bear conflicts arise.

The nearest grizzly populations to the east are in the Selkirk Mountains in Washington, Idaho and British Columbia and the Kettle-Granby population unit in B.C. There are smaller numbers of the bears to the north in the Stein-Nahatlatch population unit, and west in the Squamish-Lillooet and Garibaldi-Pitt population unit.

Highways, rivers, railroads and human influence fragmenting the habitat make it unlikely the bears would naturally repopulate the North Cascades.

Previous federal estimates suggest it could cost up to $140,000 per year to capture and transport bears, up to $200,000 for monitoring in the first year of the program, and another $250,000 for staff costs.

There is no set timeline for when translocation of grizzly bears to Washington might begin. The National Park Service will publish updates on the park website and notify partners and the public of plans as they develop.

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