SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Today the California Grizzly Alliance released a peer-reviewed study assessing the feasibility of returning grizzly bears to California. The two-hundred-page study - Recovering Grizzly Bears in California - concludes that there are no insurmountable biological, ecological, economic, legal, or policy obstacles to returning California’s official animal to the state.

While grizzlies still adorn the California flag and seal, none currently inhabit the state’s wildlands. An estimated 10,000 grizzly bears inhabited California when the Gold Rush began. Following decades of widespread persecution, grizzlies were fully extirpated from the state less than 75 years after statehood. The last reliable sighting of a wild grizzly bear in California was in the spring of 1924 in Sequoia National Park.

“Whether or not we bring grizzly bears back to California is a choice, as there is no biological reason we couldn’t do it,” said Dr. Peter Alagona of the University of California, Santa Barbara, lead author of the study. “A decade of research informing this study demonstrates that grizzlies likely can thrive in California if we make the affirmative decision to bring them back.”

Written by a group of scientists and policy experts spearheaded by Dr. Alagona - peer-reviewed by an independent panel of experts - the study takes a deep dive into the California grizzly’s history, biology, ecology, and relationship with humans. It also examines existing suitable habitat for the species and the likely ecological, economic, and social impacts of bringing the animals back to the state. The study draws upon new analysis, as well a previous studies published by scientists associated with the California Grizzly Research Network.

The feasibility study recognizes the grizzly bear as a cultural keystone species. Though absent from California for over a century, the grizzly remains an honored, vital, and revered relative for many California Tribes. Grizzlies coexisted with the ancestors of California Tribes for thousands of years and still hold deep cultural, spiritual, religious, and social significance. This long relationship gives Tribes unique insight into the grizzly’s ecological role and what future coexistence could look like.

“It’s important for people to realize that the grizzly bear isn’t just a symbol on a flag - it was a real animal that shaped California’s ecosystems and holds deep meaning for Tribal Nations across the state,” said Tejon Tribe Chairman Octavio Escobedo III, who contributed a foreword to the feasibility study. “The grizzly was honored and respected not only for its power, but for the balance it helped maintain in the natural world. This study shows that with the right approach, it’s actually possible for the bear to fulfill that role once again.”

The feasibility study includes recommendations for future research, educational outreach, and community and Tribal engagement.

“To our ancestors, the grizzly bear was a revered relative, who kept the natural world in balance,” said Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph L. James. “Our people feel the same way today. In the Yurok worldview, all native wildlife species play important roles in healthy ecosystems, which is why we reintroduced the California condor in 2022. Based on this experience, we know that a potential return of the grizzly will require additional scientific research, widespread community buy-in, and collaboration.”

The study comes a year after California officially recognized the centennial of the bear’s extirpation from the state. Last April, the California State Senate unanimously passed a resolution to officially declare 2024 the “Year of the California Grizzly Bear” to mark the 100th anniversary of the last grizzly sighting in the state. The California Fish and Game Commission similarly passed a resolution to mark the centennial of the grizzly’s extirpation and called for studies to inform “any consideration of the future of the grizzly bear in California.”

Polling published by the California Grizzly Research Network in 2019 shows that about two-thirds of Californians support restoring grizzly bears to the state, while only about 14% oppose reintroduction.

“The grizzly bear is far and away the most ecologically and culturally significant species that we have lost from California,” said Brendan Cummings, conservation director of the Center for Biological Diversity, who contributed a legal chapter for the feasibility study. “Fortunately, this study clearly shows that the loss is not irreversible. Going forward, whether or not grizzlies return to the state comes down to our political leaders and wildlife managers having the boldness of vision to make it happen. I believe they do.”

The California Grizzly Alliance is a coalition of researchers, Tribal leaders, wildlife advocates, land managers, and community members seeking the restoration of grizzly bears to the state.