Chelan County to host Grizzly Bear expert for community meetings amid restoration plans

CHELAN COUNTY — Chelan County commissioners are hosting a series of community meetings this week featuring a bear-conflict expert from Montana, as the region prepares for the potential arrival of grizzly bears in the North Cascades.

Trina Jo Bradley, chairwoman of the Montana Conflict Reduction Consortium, will share her experiences and resources about living with wildlife in three separate meetings from September 17 to 19.

The meetings are scheduled as follows:

• Sept. 17: 6 to 8 p.m. at Beehive Grange, 4593 Squilchuck Road, hosted by District 1 Commissioner Kevin Overbay.
• Sept. 18: 6 to 8 p.m. at Lake Chelan Community Center, 103 Bighorn Way, hosted by District 3 Commissioner Tiffany Gering.
• Sept. 19: 6 to 8 p.m. at Leavenworth Fire Hall, 228 Chumstick Hwy, hosted by District 2 Commissioner Shon Smith.

Bradley, a rancher from the east slope of the Rocky Mountains near Glacier National Park, knows firsthand the challenges of coexisting with grizzlies. "We constantly have to worry about our own safety and the safety of our livestock," Bradley said. "Generally, we only get a two- to three-month break when the bears are hibernating, and we must be on full alert for the rest of the year."

The meetings come in the wake of an April 25 decision by the National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades. The plan involves translocating bears from other ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains or interior British Columbia, though no timeline has been announced.

"Unfortunately, grizzly bears are coming to the North Cascades, but there are things people can do to prepare for their arrival," Bradley stated. "Conflict prevention is key to successfully living with grizzly bears and other wildlife. It doesn't prevent all conflicts, but it is much better to be prepared than it is to try to react to conflicts as they are happening."

Representatives from U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service will also attend the meetings to provide an overview of the North Cascades Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan and answer questions from the public.

All meetings are in-person only. The Leavenworth meeting will be recorded and made available on the county website later in September.

Bradley emphasized the importance of community involvement, saying, "Everyone has to work together to support good grizzly bear management and keep conflicts to a minimum."