Deadline extended for input on North Cascades grizzlies plan

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- People will have more time to weigh in on several proposals to restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades.

The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are giving the public 45 additional days to comment after local officials and residents asked for more time.

The Bellingham Herald reports that April 28 is the new deadline to comment on four options, including taking no action.

Three other alternatives seek to restore a population of about 200 bears, by relocating animals to 9,800 square miles of mostly public land in and around North Cascades National Park and letting them breed.

The options differ in the number of bruins initially released and the time expected to get to that goal, ranging from 25 years for the expedited option to 60 to 100 years for the other two alternatives.