Julie R.
Indianapolis, IN
I have seen these majestic creatures with my own eyes, tromping through Glacier National Park, cooling off in a mountain streams, fishing for their dinner. While I've always worked to avoid a grizzly on a mountain pass, I in no way think that they should not be protected. It's unbelievable that humans and our development have given these creatures so little space in which to roam. We are only part of an ecosystem which is out of balance. The Endangered Species Act is a very small way to keep these and other creatures from extinction.
Patricia N.
El Segundo, CA
When I was about 7 years old, my entire family rented a recreational vehicle and traveled through Wyoming, California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. I believe this is where my love of the wild places began. I recently turned 45 years old in April, and these places still accelerate my heartbeat. During our trip, I witnessed the most amazing and awe-inspiring sights. Sequoia trees that touched the sky and water as clear and cold as midnight. We were fortunate enough to see several grizzly bears, and …
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Edward F.
Minneapolis, MN
For many years, my family has summered on the North Fork of the Flathead River in Montana, and participated in grizzly studies conducted out of the University of Montana, Missoula. It is not only the Yellowstone grizzlies that are endangered. There is presently a citizen-inspired movement to pave the now-gravel road up the North Fork on the Forest Service (West) side of the river, which will …
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Al A.
Temecula, CA
Much of the richness of life is in the diversity of plants and animals that share the planet with us. The landscapes that grizzly bears inhabit are a few of the last remaining wild places that have not been ruined or destroyed by man. Losing the grizzly bear from the environment of that landscape leaves it less mysterious and alluring. I just finished reading the story of the man and his daughter who …
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Sue C.
Pocatello, ID
My husband and I used to live in Alaska but now live in Idaho, not far from Yellowstone Park. Grizzly bears were often visitors to our acreage 30 miles outside of Fairbanks, and were never a nuisance, since we never left trash or food outside. I always wore something that jingled when I walked or berry-hunted …
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Carol P.
Harrisville, NH
I'd like you to keep up the fight for the grizzlies because they are a true symbol of the American west and one of the most magnificent and beautiful creatures on Earth. Vastly powerful and simply
amazing …
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Larry V.
San Jose, CA
Even before I moved west and saw a grizzly ... the idea of just having such an incredible creature as part of our wild heritage really appealed to me at an early age. Seeing magnificent creatures in books and knowing they were there and should remain to be there became a part of my beliefs …
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Barbara O.
Northridge, CA
Grizzly bears are a vital segment of the ecology and must be protected. Losing this species further impacts our environment at a time when many animals and plants are severely threatened by man's impact and global climate changes. All creatures, plants and their environments are intertwined in their support for one another. The grizzly bear plays an important role in his natural environment, and failure by mankind to ensure his survival would be yet another tragic loss.
Jessica U.
Monroe, GA
It is unfair to me that a few can make choices for so many. I should have the same rights to keep a bear alive that a hunter has to kill them. I want my daughter to know that man is not the only predator out there. Grizzlies are inspiring, their size and strength are impressive. To me they should be admired and cherished, not despised and depleted.”
Stephen and Evelyn F.
Wausau, WI
We have been watching Yellowstone grizzlies since the 1980s. One came out of the trees on the slope of Mt. Washburn and scattered a herd of more than a hundred elk. Another dug for army cutworms on the opposite slope. One crossed the Yellowstone River in the Hayden Valley, not far from three wolves who were chasing a mule deer …
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Joseph and Diane W.
Lacey, WA
Yes, we have seen grizzly bears. It was in Alaska, in Denali, in 1992. They were magnificent! We saw a sow and cubs and they passed just feet from the park bus we were on. It just took your breath away …
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Gisela Z.
Wauwatosa, WI
The presence of grizzly bears indicates a healthy ecosystem. The bears are apex predators who require large amounts of territory. Protecting bears and their habitats protects the entire ecosystem. Bears and other wildlife need room to move and migrate to maintain genetic strength and viability. Grizzlies cannot be constrained to living in isolated pockets of protected wilderness …
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Kathy A.
Santa Cruz, CA
As omnivores, grizzly bears have a huge impact on the ecosystems of which they are a part. It has been shown time and again that when top predators or large-scale omnivores are removed from a habitat, absolutely everything else goes out of balance and biodiversity drops precipitously. They are intricately woven into the fabric of an ecosystem and are responsible for much of that system's biological richness and diversity. They are also magnificent reminders of our place in the scheme of nature -- one which we are often unwilling to accept and live with. Bears, mountain lions, and other large predators can keep us in a healthier balance with
nature too.
Photo credits: Top: © Patrick Endres, Alaska Stock; Bottom right and all slideshow photos: © Florian Schulz.
Map sources: U.S. and border region: Troy Merrill, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; Canada: Michael F. Proctor, University of Calgary.
