CALIFORNIA – The California Grizzly Alliance published a feasibility study supporting the return of 1,183 bears in the state. 

The alliance proposes this as part of an effort to restore grizzlies to California, where they’ve been extinct in the wild since the early 1900s. The goal is to reintroduce an iconic species with ecological, cultural, and environmental importance to the state.

This comes as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) plans to clarify protections for grizzly bears across the lower 48 states under the Endangered Species Act by January 2026.

Currently, the lower 48 states are home to about 2,000 grizzly bears. According to the alliance, if the USFWS’s recovery plan were fully implemented across six designated ecosystems, the population could grow to about 3,500 grizzlies.

Grizzlies were eradicated in California

Grizzly bears, often considered apex predators, were actually 80% to 85% herbivorous in California before European colonization, according to the study.

“After European colonization, the proportion of terrestrial protein in grizzlies’ diets roughly doubled, making them about 70% herbivorous. This increase in protein came mostly from free-roaming European livestock,’ stated researchers from the alliance.

In California, as in most of the American West, grizzlies were hunted, trapped, and poisoned to extinction. Several factors fueled the killing spree that eradicated grizzlies from the state. 

During the Mission and Rancho eras, grizzlies preying on livestock led to conflicts with Spanish-speaking ranchers. These clashes escalated with the arrival of English-speaking cattlemen, who aggressively protected their herds for commercial markets.

Three areas in California suitable for habitation

According to the study, brown bears – including grizzlies, are powerful ecosystem engineers that reshape the environment. Their helpful behaviors include loosening soil through digging, reducing wildfire risk by clearing brush, and dispersing seeds. 

Study models identify three major areas of high-quality grizzly habitat in California: 

• Northwest Forest (Klamath Mountains and Trinity Alps) 
• Southern Sierra Nevada 
• the Transverse Ranges (from San Bernardino to Santa Barbara) 

The estimated grizzly population would be about 832 for Sierra Nevada, around 236 for the Northwest Forest and about 115 for the Transverse Ranges.

The study says grizzly reintroduction in California would be a gradual process, spanning several decades.

Recent fatal black bear attack

Although the study finds brown bears pose a minimal risk to humans, California recently saw its first confirmed fatal black bear attack on a human.

In November 2023, 71-year-old Patrice Miller was found dead inside her rental cottage in Downieville, Sierra County. An autopsy revealed trauma consistent with an attack while alive, suggesting the bear killed her.

California Representative Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas) introduced AB 1038, a bill that seeks to reinstate the use of dogs to pursue black bears as a public safety measure. Supporters cite the fatal black bear attack and rising bear encounters.

Although the bill stalled in committee, it remains eligible for reconsideration in the 2026 legislative session.

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