Okanagan First Nations team up with American agencies to restore grizzly bear population

The Okanagan Nation Alliance is working with American agencies to bring back grizzly bears, ki?lawna? in nsyilxc?n, to the Okanagan's transboundary ecosystem. The alliance is working with the National Park Service, Department of Interior, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore the grizzly bear population in the North Cascades Ecosystem, according to a press release from the Okanagan Nation Alliance.  “The decision to restore grizzly bears to this sacred part of the landscape is an indicator of our leadership’s commitments that demonstrates a clear example of our nation’s continuing efforts to uphold our responsibilities for the tmixw(wildlife in nsyilxc?n). We are beginning a long process of recovery, and we are pleased to embark on this journey together with our US partners,'' Okanagan Nation Alliance Tribal Chairman Chief Clarence Louie said in the release.  The Greater North Cascades Ecosystem runs from the Fraser River in B.C. south to Stevens Pass in Washington, according to the North Cascades Institute. The U.S. agencies made an announcement to select a method for the active restoration of grizzly bears in the North Cascades requiring cooperation on both sides of the border on April 25. The goal is to add 3 to 7 bears per year to the region for the next ten years to establish a starting population of 25 grizzly bears, according to a press release from the National Park Service.  READ MORE: The federal government plans to restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades region of Washington https://infotel.ca/newsitem/us-grizzly-reintroduction-north-cascades/cp551828044 “The announcement of the Decision to Actively Restore ki?lawna? to the U.S. North Cascades Ecosystem in the U.S. marks an important moment in history for recovery efforts on both sides of the border. Restoring ki?lawna? to the North Cascades Ecosystem has involved multiple decades of work by many committed people, leading us to where we are now,” the alliance’s natural resources chair Jordan Coble said in the release. The Okanagan Nation Alliance set a mandate to protect grizzly bears throughout the territory in 2014 and has been working towards a transboundary solution ever since. Coble said this is a milestone for cooperation between numerous groups on environmental issues in the Okanagan. “From the Syilx Okanagan Nation’s perspective, our partnership with our U.S. cohorts on this work demonstrates a clear example of naqsmi?st x??l tmix? (coming together for all living things) and that we are collectively righting a wrong and returning ki?lawna to a transboundary ecosystem that depends on their presence. This decision re-confirms our commitment to protecting ki?lawna today and for generations to come,” he said. To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca  or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .