[Dave Workman]

[cartman]

Kind of curious why people think we should start carrying spray, guns or whatever if grizzlies are reintroduced. Most of us have done without just fine spending many days in the backcountry coexisting with the far more numerous black bears.

[Tom_Sjolseth]

[moonspots]

[moonspots]

Public comment period open through March 26, 2015 I've been looking to find the submitted comments so far, but don't find them. Perhaps they're not available to the public (yet?). Comments left on the FCC website for example are available for public viewing, so I figured these would/should be as well. Ok, conspiracy theory time...

[Dave Workman]

[cartman]

Of course not, Dave. I took your comment as a "generic" quote to illustrate my opinion. My other comment is about arming oneself against any bear, or not. Blacks are much more likely to be a problem, as they are far more prevalent and more used to being near humans. I think griz are going to be rarely if ever sighted given the small numbers they're speaking of reintroducing. And is a grizzly's temperament that much different from a black bear's? Both are essentially apex predators, yet aren't both more likely to run than anything else when they sight a human? I've encountered or seen black bears about ten times in the backcountry in the Cascades. Every reaction, when they knew I was there, was to either immediately run or ignore me. Saw four different bears (none together) in the space of an hour once and three ran, one ignored. Are grizzlies less likely to run and more likely to stand their ground/confront/charge?

[RumiDude]

[treeswarper]

Black bears tend to be shy, except for those that hang out in no-hunting areas, because we have bear hunting season. A bold bear is likely to become a dead bear. I doubt there will be a hunting season for griz so why should they fear humans?

[Dave Workman]

[Dave Workman]

[Kim Brown]

[RumiDude]

[pcg]

Several mini-threads going on. In my experience… Black bears in OR and WA are basically harmless, I carry bear spray in OR because I have an irrational fear of cougars when I am hiking alone at dusk. In addition, I carry bear spray in WA when I am in areas where grizzlies have been seen because I have an irrational fear of grizzlies. From my research… Dangerous bear behavior can be either predatory (usually a black bear) or defensive aggressive (usually a grizzly bear), and it behooves anyone in bear country to know how to recognize which behavior is being exhibited so the appropriate response can be used. Grizzlies everywhere are dangerous. For reasons unknown to me, black bears in AK and Canada tend to me more dangerous than those in OR or WA. More deaths and injuries are caused by black bears in Canada and AK than grizzly bears. Re. messing with ecosystems… IMO there is no such thing as a “natural” ecosystem. If you are referring to an ecosystem untouched by man, then define it as such, as man is just as much a part of the natural world as grizzly bears. Being the apex predator and by far the one with the most brains, we are free to decide what we want. I have been hiking and climbing in NCNP for over 30 years and, though I've never seen a grizzly there, I've always been aware that they are infrequent visitors. With that in mind I am always mindful and careful, but have never been too concerned. If grizzly bears gradually reintroduce themselves to NCNP that is fine by me. It will happen slowly and at a pace that will allow bears and man to comfortably adjust to the change. I am absolutely opposed to artificially shocking the system, which is what human-caused reintroduction will do. Don’t stir things up when it isn’t necessary. It’s dangerous to bears and people and a waste of tax-payer money. Keep protecting them and let them be.

[zephyr]

Just a reminder, the comment period ends on March 14. Here's a link to the comment page of the E.I.S. You don't have to furnish all the information requested. You can even reply as Anonymous according to the National Park spokesman at the meeting in Renton. ~z