WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA. The
Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) conducted a
massive hazing operation today of approximately 250 wild
Yellowstone bison along public lands just outside the
western boundary of Yellowstone National Park. The
Yellowstone bison herd is the last continuously wild
herd in the United States. Genetically and behaviorally
unique, the Yellowstone herd currently numbers fewer
than 3,600 individuals.
The hazing operation runs counter to adaptations made to
the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) in November
2006, which were supposed to adjust bison management
operations. According to the Adjustments to 2006-2007
IBMP Operating Procedures memorandum, the agencies
agreed that "based upon collective evaluation of
prevailing management activities and consideration of
the IBMP objectives, the partner agencies have agreed to
incorporate the following into the 2006-2007 IBMP
Operating Procedures:
1. Strategic Hazing - Bison
outside the park between November 1 and May 15 that are
subject to hazing under the IBMP could be hazed away
from higher risk areas towards area(s) of lower risk
outside the park. The Montana State Veterinarian will
retain jurisdiction and discretion to implement
strategic hazing outside the park."
2. Tolerance of Bull Bison - In recognition of
guidelines to implement the Montana bison hunt, bull
bison (single to small groups) outside the park between
November 1 to May 15 that are otherwise subject to
hazing or removal under the IBMP, could be tolerated if
deemed of low risk to disease transmission and public
property safety. The Montana State Veterinarian will
retain jurisdiction and discretion to implement such
tolerance of bull bison outside the park."
The adaptations were agreed
upon, signed, and publicized by the following agencies:
Becki Heath, Forest Supervisor, USFS, Gallatin National
Forest; Jerry Diemer, Associate Regional Director, USDA,
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Pat Flowers,
Regional Supervisor, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks;
Tom Linfield, [former] State Veterinarian, Montana
Department of Livestock; Suzanne Lewis, Superintendent,
Yellowstone National Park.
"According to the adaptive changes, these buffalo should
have been left alone," said Stephany Seay, spokesperson
for Buffalo Field Campaign. "The vast majority of the
buffalo harassed today were on Gallatin National Forest
land, there are no cattle within 40 miles of here, and
bulls were purposefully sought out and hazed by DOL
agents."
The Department of Livestock's agent in charge of field
operations, Rob Tierney, made it clear that he was not
familiar with the specifics of the agreement or its
timelines. When asked why DOL was not implementing the
changes he said that the agreement only applied to bull
bison. Today's hazing operation took place a full month
and five days earlier than specified in the IBMP
agreement, which allows for the adaptive changes until
May 15.
"They're hazing bison off of and across National Forest
land where cattle never graze. What could be more 'low
risk' than that?" asked BFC Project Director Dan Brister.
"What is the point of having an agreement if Montana's
State Veterinarian refuses to apply that agreement and
is given full discretion to do so?"
There has never been a documented case of wild bison
transmitting the European livestock disease brucellosis
to livestock, even prior to implementation of
Interagency Bison Management Plan.
The hazing operation interrupts the bison's annual
spring migration, when bison must cross Highway 191 to
reach their calving grounds on the Horse Butte
Peninsula. Buffalo Field Campaign facilitates safe
highway crossings for bison and warns motorists of their
presence on the road.
"The bison know where they need to be, and as soon as
the agents leave they will turn around and cross highway
191 on their way back to Horse Butte," said BFC Campaign
Coordinator Mike Mease. "By repeatedly hazing the
buffalo before they are ready to return to the Park on
their own, the DOL is putting both motorists and bison
in unnecessary danger."
American Bison once spanned the continent, numbering
between 30 and 50 million. The Yellowstone bison are
genetically unique and are America's only continuously
wild herd, numbering fewer than 3,600 animals, .01
percent of the bison's former population.
1,912 bison have been killed since 2000 under the
Interagency Bison Management Plan. Last winter Federal
and State agencies killed or authorized the killing of
more than 1,010 bison. So far this winter two bison were
captured and sent to slaughter by Montana Department of
Livestock agents and hunters have killed 58.
Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) is the only group working
in the field, every day, to stop the slaughter of the
wild Yellowstone buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo
and their native habitat and advocate for their lasting
protection. BFC has proposed real alternatives to the
current mismanagement of Yellowstone bison that can be
viewed at
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/solutions05.html
.
For more information, video clips and photos visit:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org .
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org |