Washington residents rip Biden officials seeking to release grizzly bears near communities

Residents of northern Washington are speaking out against a plan from the Biden administration to let grizzly bears loose in a forest area near their homes and communities.

At least 200 concerned citizens made an appearance at the public hearing hosted by the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service to make their opposition against the release of the apex predators in federal forest land so close to their properties, according to a report.

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Close to 50 people, including Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), spoke on behalf of the local communities.

“As a farmer, I worry not only about the bears destroying my crops, but for the safety and well-being of myself, my family, and my on-farm hands,” Newhouse said. “It is clear you all know that grizzlies can and probably will move out of the zone in which you drop them in, yet rather than letting common sense prevail, are continuing to push forward with this dangerous plan.”

“So, tell me, what is the agency’s plan for dealing with crop loss and livestock depredation that is inevitable from the introduction of these predators? What is the timeline for issuing lethal permits? And how much will citizens have to lose before they can defend themselves from this predator in their backyard?”

The Biden-backed grizzly plan was proposed in September by the NPS and FWS to release the bears in northern Washington’s North Cascades National Park, according to the report.

Left-wing groups cheered the proposal, which would let loose at least seven bears annually into the wilderness over the coming five to 10 years in the hopes of building a bear population, according to the report.

Residents in the area have not shared the left-wing group’s enthusiasm.

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“If you’re not willing to accept responsibility for what goes down in this county from the actions that you take, you have no business taking those actions,” one resident said.

“There’s not the habitat up there for the grizzly bear. There never has been, and there never will be,” another said. “So, you’re going to put grizzly bears there; what are they going to do? They’re going to get right out in the winter. They’re going to go right down in Mazama, and they’re going to go down in the rest of the area because they’re not going to stay up there. So, I’m opposed to it completely.”