When you look at the California state flag or its official seal, you will see a grizzly bear featured proudly. This is a little odd, however, because no grizzly bears have been found in that state for over 100 years now. Sure, generations ago they were plentiful, but they were hunted to local extinction or pushed out of the state over the course of time.

According to a new study conducted by the California Grizzly Alliance, this can change. The feasibility study looked into whether it would be safe and viable to reintroduce the grizzly bear to the California ecosystem, and it came back positive.

These large bears are considered threatened, with just 1923 living in the contiguous USA according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. There has been a lot of effort over the years to protect and encourage the growth of this iconic species, but a lot more work has to be done.

In the study, the authors report:

“This feasibility study builds on nearly a decade of research conducted through the California Grizzly Research Network and California Grizzly Alliance. Much remains to be done. At each stage along the way, however, the lessons we learned pointed to a clear and consistent conclusion: California (the place) likely contains plenty of habitat for a sustainable population of grizzly bears. The question is whether Californians (the people) will embrace such a bold and visionary project.”

Reintroducing them to California would give them additional land to populate, as long as enough of them are brought in to ensure proper genetic diversity. The study does clear the way of a lot of potential objections though. Specifically, it looks at California’s biology, ecology, economic issues, and even the social impact that bringing these large bears back could have. As recently as 2019, about 66% of the population of California supported bringing the grizzly back, with just 14% actively opposing it, according to a poll conducted by the California Grizzly Research Network.

The study focuses on three potential areas where the bears could be welcomed back, including the Transverse Ranges, the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and the Northwest Forests. These areas would give the bears enough room to establish themselves without causing disruption to the people, which could put them at risk.

While there is a lot of work that would still need to be done before the bears would be brought back, there is a lot of excitement concerning the progress that is being made. Maybe someday soon, the bear won’t just be on California’s flag, but on its land as well.

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