Endangered Fisher to be Reintroduced Into Cascades

SEATTLE (AP) — A weasel-like predator that disappeared from Washington state decades ago will soon be reintroduced to the Cascade Mountains.

Wildlife officials are preparing to re-establish fishers into Mount Rainier and North Cascades national parks and surrounding areas over the next several years.

The dark brown carnivores historically were found throughout much of the forested areas of the state. But they declined in numbers due to overtrapping and loss of forest habitats.

This fall, wildlife officials with the National Park Service, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and others plan to take fishers captured from British Columbia and relocate them to the southwest Cascades. The plan is to reintroduce 40 fishers a year for two years.

They'll also relocate animals to the northwest Cascades, which could happen as early as fall 2017. Each region would get 80 animals, for a total of 160.