Buffalo Allies of Bozeman

Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
May 15, 2008

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In this issue:
* Kill Tally
* Update from the Field
* Buffalo Advocates Rally in Helena
* Buffalo Field Campaign Needs Summer Volunteers
* Photo of the Week
* Last Words
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AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2007-2008 Total: 1,604
2007-2008 Slaughter: 1,438
2007-2008 Hunt: 166
2007-2008 Quarantine: 112

Total Since 2000: 3,669*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts

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* Update from the Field

Dear Buffalo Friends,

For eight years now my family and I have been migrating from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the home where the Buffalo have been roaming for centuries now. And like the buffalo, I find refuge in the banks of the Madison, the flats along it’s bluffs, the incredible flora and fauna of this migratory paradise. In all my travels and wanderings I have yet to find a place that penetrates my very core in the way that this stretch of land and her surrounding forests, rivers, mountains, and wild inhabitants have. Here you taste the wild, here the wild courses through your veins and remains a part of you–it swallows you and changes you forever. Here you feel all the possibilities and you understand the greatness of this land before “civilization” and “management plans.” And there is something within me that’s trying to strike some balance between outrage and understanding; that this game between good and evil is so much bigger than me–that maybe I am not here to save the bison but to save the WILD in me. It seems the Wild within us has become a very faint and distant memory, that the continual chaos of present day culture shuts us down and turns us off.

The situation here mirrors exactly what is happening to us. Are we not constantly being hazed ourselves? Pay the bills! Go to work! Buy this! Take that! And so I step out of the rat-race and plant my feet on the swath that has been carved for centuries and journey down the ancient migratory path that is the buffalo on their way to their ancestral birthing grounds. I am in the true presence of grace, of life in it’s most raw form. Singing bluebirds and chickadees dart and flit around me, a flock of pelicans seemingly disorganized fly in a roller coaster-like formation until a perfect V is outlined in the sky above the river. I hear red-tailed hawks piercing the sky with their cries and watch as a sand hill crane takes flight– his pre-historic call echoes through the forest and enters my soul. I marvel at mama buffalo tracks and the tiny heart-shaped tracks of their newborn calves millimeters away. Amidst this plethora of tracks and scat is the unmistakable print of a wolf. Another wild chord is struck. Although I have yet to see this magnificent creature, the knowing that he or she is here is enough. This I know is how it’s supposed to be, how it’s supposed to feel. Here we are healed.

As many of you already know, spring is a bittersweet time for this region so rich in diversity. So much life, so much beauty, so much Wild! And then there’s the “Management Plan.” The 3 million-dollar a year plan that can turn serenity into chaos in a matter of moments. Two thirds of this unique bison population sent to slaughter was not enough for the government agents this year. One of the worst winters for wildlife in almost a decade was not enough. Three-hundred plus held in pens till “green-up” is not enough. 77 calves born in captivity is not enough. Close to 200 calves in quarantine is not enough.

And so yesterday we saw the arrival of the helicopter and numerous agents on ATV’s and horses out “managing” the Wild. Disrupting the flow of everyday life in this bioregion so rich in diversity. It’s not only the bison that pay the price, although they receive the worst of it. It is the migratory birds, the new plants springing to life after finally shedding a winter’s worth of heavy snow, the elk, deer, and moose. It is the bears emerging from hibernation, the wolves in search of food. It is the human residents of this area who have moved here to immerse themselves in the richness of the area and are now tired of management plans and their machinations, tired of having helicopters hovering over their homes. For some ten plus hours yesterday buffalo and newborn calves were run from their ancestral grounds well into the park by the usual suspects. The Park has sent out a press release stating that this may well continue for weeks to come. Why weeks? Because as we see year after year, no matter how many times you haze–you can never stop a wild animal from following its migratory instinct. This would be like trying to stop the monarch butterfly from migrating to Mexico, like trying to stop birds from their winter migrations. You cannot stop the wild with out serious repercussions.

My son and I went into the park yesterday playing the role of unsuspecting tourists and asked various employees (folks at the booths, interpretive rangers, and law-enforcement rangers) why this was happening to the bison. All the answers were the same. “The ranchers are bringing their cows back. We need to get the bison back into the park to keep them safe.” I would hear them give this same answer to the line of cars held up due to the hazing operation now inside the park. For those of us familiar with the issue this is a flat out lie. And when confronted on the lack of truth to their answers, it was the usual “pass the buck” to someone else response. And this is what I grow tired of. It is this lack of integrity from those entrusted with caring for our wildlife in the world’s first national park, a park established, in part, because of the mighty buffalo! There are no cows! There are no ranchers! There are no grazing allotments!

Chief Arvol Looking Horse says that we are “culturally and spiritually indebted to the buffalo.” Our silence is crime against the wild. Our voices need to be heard collectively and individually. In the way that we shut down the faxes and phones of the Yellowstone Superintendent’s office last year, this we must continue to do until the madness stops for good. As we learned this winter, one small victory is not reason to lessen or resolve and determination. The “powers that be” need to know and feel that our persistence and resolve is like that of the buffalo. They must be held accountable and they need to know as well that we are here watching, that we are here standing, that we are here listening. So please let us begin again to flood phone lines and faxes, e-mail and mail boxes. This is not one single herd. This is a unique population of animals with various sub-populations. When you kill more than 1,600 animals you affect the genetic integrity of this incredible species in ways which you can’t understand. Extinction is forever! Enough is enough! Please, if you are able, come here and reconnect with your wild and stand with the buffalo.

With the Wild—Roman

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* Buffalo Advocates Rally in Helena

With banners and tombstones in hand, and strong hearts that have withstood a season of tremendous buffalo slaughter, Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers trekked to Montana’s capitol, Helena, on Wednesday, May 15, for a rally to draw attention to Montana Governor Schweitzer’s role in the shameful slaughter of America’s last wild bison. Buffalo Field Campaign was joined by other friends of buffalo, including local residents and members of a newly formed citizen action group, Buffalo Allies of Bozeman. At the end of the event, people walked into the capitol and up to the Governor’s office to present him with the “Buffalo Bill Award.” See Photo of the Week below. See more photos and read about the rally from the perspective of Jim Macdonald from Buffalo Allies of Bozeman at:
http://buffaloallies.org/node/42

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* BFC Needs Summer Volunteers

Buffalo Field Campaign is in need of hard-working, self-motivated volunteers starting this June to help conduct buffalo outreach efforts inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and/or to help with maintenance projects at our headquarters on Hebgen Lake.

Do You Have:
* An outgoing personality and knowledge of the issue with a willingness to communicate to Yellowstone visitors?

* Construction, carpentry, plumbing, cleaning, or automotive maintenance skills?

If you have any of the skills listed above, or are willing to learn, then you should plan on joining us this summer. All volunteers will be provided with food and lodging at our main cabin outside of West Yellowstone in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. If you have just a few weeks or the whole summer, Buffalo Field Campaign could use your help.

If you are interested in helping with summer outreach projects inside of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks please contact Iwi at:
summer@buffalofieldcampaign.org

If you are interested in assisting with cabin maintenance projects this summer please contact BFC at: (406) 646-0070

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* Photo of the Week

http://gallery.buffalofieldcampaign.org/v/photo_of_the_week/BFC+award+to+Governor.jpg.html

On Wednesday, May 14, BFC and other bison advocates held a rally in Helena, and also presented this “award” to Montana’s Governor Brian Schweitzer for his role in the largest wild buffalo slaughter since the 1800s. This is the same governor who promised “more tolerance” for wild bison in Montana. Of course, the Governor was out of the office and unable to receive his token in person, but an intern was sent out to hear our concerns in his stead. Read more about the rally in Helena above.

Photo by Julia Vincent, BFC supporter and amazing wild bison advocate.

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* Last Words

from Justine Sanchez (BFC Board Member)…

A month ago I had the opportunity to share a lunch with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! This was the second time that I had met with her on behalf of the buffalo…the first being a dinner in NYC. She immediately recognized me and asked how the campaign was going. I told her…the truth. I was able to speak the story of the wild bison while her camera man documented the event. I gave her a DVD and still hope for the opportunity to have the buffalo story told on air. She gave away copies of her new book, Stand Up to the Madness, signing it to all buffalo friends. I brought the book home to my husband, Roman, and my son, Japhy. We read and discussed the different stories featuring people who were in fact standing up to the madness. The next day, Japhy handed me this poem;

Stand Up to the Madness
Do your hearts, beating blood out of veins,
humans bleeding their lives out far away from their families
because of the lunatic whims of the people in power,
our “leaders” fear…
driving entire genetic lines to extinction
Children crying out for lost mothers
because millions are afraid to
STAND UP TO THE MADNESS
Our generations working everyday
to pay for our leaders’ screw ups
or for a war caused by misguided fear
One ridiculous mess up after another
and they still can get away with it
kill millions of buffalo
then celebrate because 28 survived!
I wish I could just wish away my feeling
but I can’t
and that is why we must battle on
that is why we must have hope
that is why we must keep faith
that is why we must
STAND UP TO THE MADNESS!

by Japhy Ryder Sanchez, age 11

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Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S.

Stay informed! Get our weekly email Updates from the Field:
Send your email address to bfc-media@wildrockies.org

* View BFC Video Footage:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

* NEW VIDEO! To Protect the Wild Bison
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/documentaries.html

* Why are they killing the last wild buffalo?
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/issueinbrief.html

* NEW! Buffalo Field Campaign Blog
http://www.blog.buffalofieldcampaign.org

* Protect Horse Butte for Wild Buffalo!
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/legal/horsebutte.html

* BOYCOTT BEEF! It’s what’s killing wild buffalo
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/boycott.html

* Speak Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html

* Write a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html

* Help the buffalo by recycling your used cell phones & printer cartridges:
It’s free and easy.
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html.

The Park Service just released this press release indicating that the buffalo on Horse Butte will be hazed during the peak of calving season even though there are NO cattle on Horse Butte and there NEVER will be. The first cattle to arrive generally don’t arrive until mid-June but with the extended winter it is unlikely that cattle will arrive to the area until after all of the buffalo have given birth and are no longer able to transmit brucellosis.

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See Press Release Below

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2008 08-030
Al Nash or Stacy Vallie (307) 344-2015

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK NEWS RELEASE
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WEST YELLOWSTONE BISON HAZING OPERATION SET TO BEGIN WEDNESDAY

The five agencies operating under the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) are planning a joint operation to begin moving bison in the area of West Yellowstone, Montana, to their summer range in the interior of Yellowstone National Park.

The first hazing operation is set to begin Wednesday morning, utilizing riders on horseback and a helicopter where appropriate.

Under the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP), the park works with other agencies to conserve a viable, wild bison population while cooperating to protect Montana’s brucellosis-free status.

Brucellosis risk management requires keeping bison separated from cattle and off land where cattle may graze later in the year. The greatest risk of the transmission of brucellosis comes from the tissue and fluids associated with bison birthing or abortion events during bison calving season, which is entering its peak.

A group of about 70 bison near the park boundary north of West Yellowstone at Baker’s Hole will be hazed in small groups east along the Madison River corridor. As they vacate that location, some of the nearly 300 bison currently on Horse Butte will be hazed toward Baker’s Hole.

In this fashion, small groups of bison will be slowly and consecutively moved until they are all back well inside the park along the Firehole River and in Fountain Flats. These are thermal areas where spring plant growth has already produced enough new forage to attract and hold bison. It is possible that these hazing operations will continue for the next few weeks.

Over 330 bison remain in the Stephens Creek corrals, which are located inside the park northwest of Gardiner, Montana. Park wildlife biologists expect spring plant growth to continue to improve in order to allow those bison to be successfully released back into the park in the near future.

This is the eighth winter the IBMP has been used to guide brucellosis risk management actions. The five cooperating agencies operating under the IBMP are the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Montana Department of Livestock and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

- www.nps.gov/yell -

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

Public Affairs Office
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
(307) 344-2013
Yell_Public_Affairs@nps.gov
http://www.nps.gov/yell

BISON ADVOCATES HOLD RALLY ON THE CAPITOL LAWN
Gathering in Helena to Hold Schweitzer Accountable for Largest Slaughter Since 1800s

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 13, 2008
Press Contacts: Mike Bowersox, BFC, (5/13) 406-646-0070 (5/14 rally site) 416-622-2461
Stephany Seay, BFC, 406-646-0070

(HELENA, MT) - Wild bison advocates will gather in Helena, Montana, Wednesday, May 14th, on the lawn of the State Capitol, 1301 East Sixth Avenue, to draw attention to Governor Brian Schweitzer’s role in the largest wild bison slaughter since the 1800s and to ask him to leave bison alone on the Horse Butte Peninsula, an area where cattle never graze. The gathering will take place from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. There will be speakers, street theatre and food provided by Seeds of Peace. The rally is open to everyone.

More than 1,600 wild American bison (buffalo) have been killed under state and federal management decisions this winter, resulting in the elimination of more than two-thirds of the last wild bison population left in the United States. There are fewer than 2,100 wild bison remaining, and winterkill is still underway. Yellowstone National Park is holding over 330 bison at the Stephens Creek bison trap awaiting spring green up. Seventy-seven wild bison calves have been born in the trap. 112 buffalo calves have been separated from their mothers and family groups and sent to quarantine pens near Corwin Springs, Montana.

“At the rally Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis will be presented with the Buffalo Bill Award for killing the most wild bison since the late 19th century,” said BFC spokeswoman Stephany Seay. “They will be remembered for this shameful act that has devastated our national heritage, the American bison.”

In April, Governor Schweitzer and Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis announced that no more bison would be slaughtered this season. However, the Montana Department of Livestock trapped and shipped to slaughter three bull bison from the Duck Creek area days after the announcement was made. The Department of Livestock is currently conducting bison hazing operations along the Park’s western boundary.

Schweitzer and Lewis also announced the near-completion of a land lease deal with the Church Universal & Triumphant (CUT) that would allow a small number of bison to temporarily occupy a fraction of their native habitat outside Yellowstone’s north boundary.

“CUT is receiving millions more in addition to the $13 million paid to them by U.S. taxpayers in the late 1990’s for a deal that was supposed to but never did benefit wild bison,” said BFC’s co-founder Mike Mease. “This latest deal continues to harm wild bison, doesn’t stop the slaughter, and it is senseless that CUT should receive more millions after failing to uphold their end of the 1999 deal.”

Bison advocates call on Montana to cease harming bison, and allow them time to make it back on their own to summer ranges in Yellowstone’s interior, which could come mid to late June. In the upper Madison Valley and Hebgen Lake Basin, spring green up is late due to harsh weather, high elevation, heavy snowpack, and cooler temperatures than normal. Horse Butte is now permanently cattle-free. There are no cattle currently grazing in the Hebgen Lake region, and they may not be trucked into the region until early July. There is no risk of brucellosis transmission at this time. There has never been a documented case of wild bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle.

“We are asking Governor Schweitzer to adapt to changed circumstances, as the Interagency Bison Management Plan allows,” said BFC’s Mike Bowersox, the rally’s coordinator. “Ultimately, we urge him to pull Montana out of the Interagency Bison Management Plan and to permit bison to occupy Horse Butte and the Hebgen Lake basin, and all Gallatin National Forest land on Yellowstone’s north and west boundaries.”

More than 1,700 wild American bison have been eliminated from the remaining wild population this winter under actions carried out under the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP), as well as state and treaty hunts. Bison are a migratory species native to vast expanses of North America and are ecologically extinct everywhere in the United States outside of Yellowstone National Park. Buffalo Field Campaign strongly opposes the Interagency Bison Management Plan and maintains that wild bison should be respected as a valued native wildlife species and allowed to naturally and fully recover themselves throughout their historic native range, especially on public lands.

2007-2008 OVERVIEW OF INTERAGENCY BISON MANAGEMENT PLAN ACTIONS
TARGETING YELLOWSTONE BISON

Records of decision, environmental analysis, and public comment on the governing Interagency Bison Management Plan are online: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutbuffalo/bisonmanagementplan.html

The winter of 2007-2008 will be remembered as the largest scale wild buffalo slaughter since the 19th century. Since its inception in 2000, the multimillion taxpayer funded Interagency Bison Management Plan has eliminated over 3,660 wild buffalo from the Yellowstone ecosystem, mainly on public lands in America’s flagship Yellowstone National Park and the Gallatin National Forest.

This season’s slaughter or removal, which so far numbers over 1,716 wild buffalo, surpasses that of 1996-1997 when 1,084 buffalo were killed.

One-third of the entire Yellowstone herd has been wiped out with 1,276 buffalo trapped and shipped to slaughter houses on order from officials in the National Park Service under Superintendent Suzanne Lewis. Six bison were shot in the field for migrating into a drop-dead zone near Yankee Jim Canyon and Maiden Basin along the Yellowstone River.

As of May 12, 2008, Yellowstone National Park reports 330 wild buffalo remain trapped at Stephens Creek inside the park awaiting release. Seventy seven buffalo calves were born in captivity. Several calves were born dead or died shortly after birth inside the trap. Seven wild buffalo died or were euthanized as a result of injuries while held in National Park Service’s trap at Stephens Creek.

One hundred twelve buffalo calves have been separated from their mothers and family groups and sent to quarantine pens near Corwin Springs, Montana operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those calves are in addition to 45 buffalo quarantined at Slip N Slide near Dome Mountain.

The Montana Department of Livestock under Governor Brian Schweitzer has targeted buffalo in hazing operations that have so far this year led to the capture of 149 wild bison migrating into the upper Madison Valley and Hebgen Lake Basin and their subsequent shipment to slaughterhouses.

The State of Montana’s hunt ended in February 2008 with 63 wild buffalo killed. Nez Perce hunted 64 buffalo under treaty rights. Salish-Kootenai also hunted 39 buffalo this season. The Park Service’s summer count estimated 4,700 buffalo. It is uncertain how many buffalo remain from this season’s slaughter and winterkill.

Yellowstone National Park released a late winter bison count which estimated that the bison numbered 2,145 as of April 11, 2008. Yellowstone National Park observed 1,970 bison but sightability indexes and population modeling increases the estimated bison population. The number of bison remaining is likely below 2,000 given April-May winter kill is still on-going. Yellowstone National Park projects “at least 400 to 700 additional animals may die due to predation, malnutrition, other natural causes (e.g. drowning), or motor vehicle accidents during winter.” (Interagency Bison Management Plan report, 16 April through 30 April 2008).

Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, every day, to stop the slaughter of the wild American buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo and their habitat and advocate for their lasting protection. BFC has proposed real alternatives to the current mismanagement of American bison that can be viewed at http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/solutions.html. For more information, video clips and photos visit: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

Contact: Chris Klatt
406-599-3629
lodgepole@riseup.net
May 12, 2008

Buffalo Allies of Bozeman Is Founded to Take Action against the Slaughter and Hazing of Wild Buffalo

New group takes a grassroots approach toward advocacy of buffalo in the Yellowstone area.

(Bozeman, Mont.) - In a winter where more wild buffalo have been killed than at any time since the 19th century in and near Yellowstone National Park, concerned local residents in the Bozeman area have formed Buffalo Allies of Bozeman - a new grassroots group taking action on behalf of the American bison.
“We believed we needed to build a community of action so that the slaughter we have seen this year, where over 1,600 animals have been killed, never happens again,” said Mel Schroeder, one of the members of Buffalo Allies of Bozeman.

The theme of community is at the heart of the new group, which is open to everyone in the Bozeman area who accepts the group’s mission. Buffalo Allies of Bozeman calls for stopping the slaughter and hazing of Yellowstone’s wild buffalo herds, promoting the expansion of free-roaming buffalo outside of Yellowstone National Park, conserving the natural habitat of the buffalo herds, allying with and giving solidarity to groups working on related missions and supporting a diversity of strategies and tactics to achieve the mission. All those participating at meetings make decisions together on events and actions.
“What makes us a little different than some of the larger environmental groups is that we depend entirely on the energy of the public for making decisions,” said Schroeder. “There is no Executive Director of President; we all roam on this path together.”

Buffalo Allies of Bozeman held an educational event in March, featuring Mike Mease of Buffalo Field Campaign. On May 25 at 7 PM, the group will be hosting a potluck in Bogart Park that is open to the public. In June, the group will host a forum on the various ways Bozeman residents can take an active role in buffalo advocacy.

The group will also be working with the Gallatin Wildlife Association on changing Montana law so that buffalo are respected as wildlife and not treated as a disease control issue. Furthermore, Buffalo Allies of Bozeman will be speaking out against the recent deal made between state of Montana, the National Park Service and the Church Universal & Triumphant. According to Schroeder, “This is a bad deal that, contrary to what some have said in the media, is not a step forward for a single buffalo. The more I learn about it, the more I realize that this does not actually provide habitat, safety or respect for any buffalo - and at an exorbitant cost to taxpayers.”

Buffalo Allies of Bozeman meets every Wednesday at 7 PM at Montana State University’s Strand Union Building. For more information, please visit: http://www.buffaloallies.org.

Michael Van Laanen, of MVL Films, LCC, has released a documentary he produced about the ongoing war against the wild bison of the Yellowstone region. This three-part film gives a brief yet thorough glimpse at the issue. You’ll hear from livestock producers, government agents, wild bison advocates, and you’ll meet some of the country’s last wild buffalo. Some footage is difficult to watch, but important to see. Check out the film on http://www.lifeonterra.com/episode.php?id=152. Michael has spent many hours in the field with BFC and has attended numerous meetings and events to help tell this story. He hopes that an edition of this film will be picked up by Montana PBS later in the year. Many thanks to Michael and his amazing film crew for helping spread the word about these special herds.

There are 3 segments for this video so be sure to watch all of them.

In this issue:
* Buffalo Kill Tally
* Update from the Field
* Buffalo Field Campaign Needs Summer Volunteers
* Upcoming Events for the Buffalo
* Montana Food Bank Speaks to Bison Meat Acquisition
* Documentary: The Bison Haze: A Yellowstone Controversy
* Special Thank You TO JANE GOODALL AND JACKSON BROWNE
* Last Words
* BFC Contact Info & Important Links
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AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2007-2008 Total: 1,604
2007-2008 Slaughter: 1,438
2007-2008 Hunt: 166
2007-2008 Quarantine: 112

Total Since 2000: 3,669*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts
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* Update from the Field

Dear Buffalo Friends,
The road through Yellowstone is now open to cars. In years past, during this season, on a drive through the park you would be hard pressed not to see several hundred buffalo and many newborn calves. This season, people who have taken this drive have felt as if they were in a ghost town. As barb, BFC’s office coordinator, reports: “Darrell and i spent many hours [last Friday] in Yellowstone driving from the west gate to Old Faithful, counting buffalo. The news is not good. In that 30 mile stretch we saw fewer than 200 buffalo total! In 14 years of living in Montana and spending lots of time at this time of the year in the park, I’ve never seen less than several hundred buffs in the meadows at Mary Mountain trail head; [Friday] we counted 41 with only 4 calves … and that was the largest herd we saw all day.”

On April 11, the Park Service estimated that there were fewer than 2,145 bison left. This figure does not account for winterkill, which is ongoing and will continue through most of May. Just yesterday we learned that Yellowstone captured once again. Another seventeen bull buffalo are in the Stephens Creek trap. Under the Interagency Bison Management Plan, when the bison population reaches 2,300 animals, they “may” slaughter, but when it reaches 2,100 animals they “shall” cease to slaughter. Given the April estimate and winterkill underway, it is critical to ask the Park what population threshold they are operating under. We can save the lives of these bulls. Please call the Park and ask them to do so: 307-344-2013.

Yellowstone officials are currently touting the fact that seventy-five calves have been born in the Stephens Creek trap in Yellowstone. These babies have been born in captivity, and the family members they are with are being treated like livestock, being fed hay and having to wait to eat fresh green grass until the humans in charge deem it ready. In the reports we get from the Park there is almost a celebratory tone when announcing the births of these captured babies. To date, 328 wild buffalo are still being held in the trap.
In West Yellowstone, migration is afoot! Cattle-free Horse Butte hosts numerous buffalo who have been left alone by agents for the past few weeks. Baby buffalo born on the Butte are enjoying peace and quiet with their moms and families now. However, the Horse Butte trap is still up. The trap has a temporary permit, and is supposed to be down by the end of April. While it hasn’t been used in a few weeks, it still remains. Patrols did observe two DOL agents taking down the police tape from around the trap, but it is unclear when they will take down the trap itself. Just today patrols reported a DOL agent on an ATV reconning the Butte. We expect agency actions to wreak havoc on the landscape next week.

Also in West, buffalo are on the roads. While warmer temperatures are finally melting the snow, some of the most available grass is right along the roadside. BFC patrols have been busy on the roadside all day and long into the night, placing our “Buffalo Ahead” and “Buffalo Crossing” signs up for various groups of buffalo. These signs are amazing! We cannot thank you enough for helping us purchase these. Though we did lose two buffalo to vehicle collisions this week, in the middle of the night, there is no doubt that numerous lives–both human and buffalo–have been saved thanks to the vigilance of our volunteers and these extremely visible signs.

We have been with two moms and two babies along one stretch of highway for over a week now; one baby we had been very concerned about. The little one is really small, taking frequent naps, not nursing much and many times being left behind or on the opposite side of the road from its mother. Likely, its mom has been doing the best she can to simply survive the winter. We were thinking the worst might come, but thankfully, yesterday patrols said that the baby was nursing and doing much better.

Spring has finally, really and truly, come to Yellowstone! There is still a lot of snow in various locations, but the grass is revealing itself, and many beautiful creatures are appearing. The mornings are full of amazing birdsong and the nights are mild. Volunteers are experiencing the wonders of this magical ecosystem and the changing season fills us with inspiration. Just yesterday, one patrol had the good fortune of seeing a wolf! Later they watched an osprey (sea hawk) catch a fish and then get chased by two bald eagles! The wonders of nature are discovered here on a daily basis on the front lines in the land of the last wild buffalo.

Roam Free,
~Stephany

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* Buffalo Field Campaign Needs Summer Volunteers

Buffalo Field Campaign is in need of hard-working, self-motivated volunteers starting this June to help conduct buffalo outreach efforts inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and/or to help with maintenance projects at our headquarters on Hebgen Lake.

Do You Have:
* An outgoing personality and knowledge of the issue with a willingness to communicate to Yellowstone visitors?

* Construction, carpentry, plumbing, cleaning, or automotive maintenance skills?

If you have any of the skills listed above, or are willing to learn, then you should plan on joining us this summer. All volunteers will be provided with food and lodging at our main cabin outside of West Yellowstone in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. If you have just a few weeks or the whole summer, Buffalo Field Campaign could use your help.

If you are interested in helping with summer outreach projects inside of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks please contact Iwi at: summer@buffalofieldcampaign.org

If you are interested in assisting with cabin maintenance projects this summer please contact BFC at: (406) 646-0070

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* Upcoming Events: Celebrating Bison Calving Season & A Rally in Helena

CELEBRATE WILD BISON CALVING SEASON!
Please join Buffalo Field Campaign mothers and kids this Mother’s Day, May 11, from 11am-3pm in West Yellowstone. Come to the day-use-area at the junction of Rainbow Point Road and Hwy 191 for free coffee & cookies and good dialogue on how to free the buffalo! Bring the whole family and celebrate part of what makes West Yellowstone so special…wild bison calving on the Horse Butte Peninsula! For more information call Justine at 406.646.0070.

RALLY FOR THE LAST WILD BUFFALO!
Join BFC and other wild bison advocates on Wednesday, May 14, from 12pm-2pm in Helena, Montana at the State Capitol, 1301 East Sixth Avenue. Come to the capitol to hold Governor Schweitzer accountable for the largest slaughter of wild buffalo since the 19th century. There will be speakers, street theatre and fantastic food by Seeds of Peace. Hold Governor Schweitzer accountable for crimes against wild buffalo and help remind him that extinction is forever! Please help spread the word by downloading a poster and posting it in your community: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/events/helenasm08.pdf.

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* Montana Food Bank Speaks to Bison Meat Acquisition

According to the Montana Food Bank Network, they did not purchase any meat of slaughtered buffalo, as the media reported last week. The buffalo meat was donated, save for a 42 cent per pound processing fee. While the meat isn’t being purchased, processing fees are being paid to someone, so someone is making a little money. But the Montana Food Bank Network should be cleared of all misconceptions regarding any purchase. This organization provides much-needed food to families and individuals. We wanted to share with you their story because we feel it’s important to set the record straight. While we do disagree that the DOL is not making any money off of the slaughter of the buffalo, we do agree that there was unfair reporting that could have caused the Food Banks to receive unnecessary negative publicity.

Here’s what the Montana Food Bank had to say:
http://blog.buffalofieldcampaign.org/2008/05/06/sloppy-reporting-from-the-billings-gazette/

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* New Documentary: The Bison Haze: A Yellowstone Controversy

Michael Van Laanen, of MVL Films, LCC, has released a documentary he produced about the ongoing war against the wild bison of the Yellowstone region. This three-part film gives a brief yet thorough glimpse at the issue. You’ll hear from livestock producers, government agents, wild bison advocates, and you’ll meet some of the country’s last wild buffalo. Some footage is difficult to watch, but important to see. Check out the film on http://www.lifeonterra.com/episode.php?id=152. Michael has spent many hours in the field with BFC and has attended numerous meetings and events to help tell this story. He hopes that an edition of this film will be picked up by Montana PBS later in the year. Many thanks to Michael and his amazing film crew for helping spread the word about these special herds.

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* Special Thank You

Buffalo Field Campaign would like to extend a special thank you to:

~ The Guacamole Fund and singer/songwriter Jackson Browne for their generous donation of $5,000 for BFC’s front lines bison defense work. The Guacamole Fund helps coordinate events for organizations working in the public interest, and Jackson Browne - well, he’s a living legend who’s music says it all! Learn more about Guacamole and Jackson Browne at http://www.guacfund.org/.
~ Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist, for being such an inspiration to people around the world, and for always “looking a challenge straight between the eyes,” reminding us to never give up even when it seems we are working against all odds. Jane recently met with BFC’s Mike Mease to talk about the wild buffalo, and a wonderful relationship has been formed. We look forward to working together with this amazing woman. Thank you, Jane, for all the work you do to protect the Chimpanzee, and for believing in us and our vision of a future where wild bison roam free once again. Many thanks to Robert White Mountain for helping organize this meeting of the minds. Learn more about Jane’s incredible work at http://www.janegoodall.org/

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* Last Words

“I came upon the Plains so vast that I did not reach their end, although I marched over them for more than three-hundred leagues… on them I found so many bison it would be impossible to estimate their numbers for there was not a single day until my return that I lost sight of them.”
~ Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, 1541

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Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo in the U.S.

Stay informed! Get our weekly email Updates from the Field:
Send your email address to bfc-media@wildrockies.org

View BFC Video Footage:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

* NEW VIDEO! To Protect the Wild Bison
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/documentaries.html

Why are they killing the last wild buffalo?
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/issueinbrief.html

* NEW! Buffalo Field Campaign Blog
http://www.blog.buffalofieldcampaign.org

–
Protect Horse Butte for Wild Buffalo!
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/legal/horsebutte.html

BOYCOTT BEEF! It’s what’s killing wild buffalo
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/boycott.html

Speak Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html

Write a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html

Help the buffalo by recycling your used cell phones & printer cartridges:
It’s free and easy. http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html.

In an earlier post about the sale of Bison meat to the Montana Food Bank the Billings Gazette got it wrong. We received this response to the article from the Montana Food Bank Network.

Hi. My name is James Dodge and I am the Food Resource Developer for the Montana Food Bank Network. I’m writing to set the proverbial record straight regarding the recent Billings Gazette story in which I am quoted saying that the Montana Food Bank Network “purchased” 15,000lbs of bison from the Department of Livestock for 42 cents per pound. As I clearly stated to Brett French of the Billings Gazette in the initial interview, the bison meat was donated free of any charge by the D.O.L. to the Montana Food Bank Network. We in turn paid 42 cents per pound to have the meat processed into burger for use by our clients. If we deliver the processed meat to an eligible food pantry or other hunger relief non-profit in Montana using our own trucks we charge an additional 4 cents per pound to help offset our fuel costs. The pantries also have the option to pick up the meat themselves in which case they only pay the 42 cents per pound for the processing costs. In either case this is significantly lower than the typical $1+ per pound that those food pantries would pay to purchase meat in a retail grocery store. The clients at these food pantries are never charged anything to receive this meat; it is provided completely free of charge to anyone who is food insecure. I asked the Billings Gazette to print a correction but they have declined. I just wanted you to know that the D.O.L. is not making any profit off the slaughter of bison in Yellowstone Park.

Thank You.

James

James Dodge
Food Resource Developer
Montana Food Bank Network

Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
May 1, 2008
——————————
Receive BFC’s updates or press releases.
Send your email address to bfc-media@wildrockies.org with “sub updates” or “sub press release” in the subject line.
——————————
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2007-2008 Total: 1,604
2007-2008 Slaughter: 1,438
2007-2008 Hunt: 166
2007-2008 Quarantine: 112

Total Since 2000: 3,669*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts
——————————
——————————
In this issue:
* Update from the Field
* Call Out for Summer Volunteers
* Buffalo in the News
* Photo of the Week
* Last Words

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* Update from the Field

This week on the Yellowstone National Park’s western boundary, the largest buffalo slaughter since the 18th century continues, even after Montana governor Brian Schweitzer promised two weeks ago that no more buffalo would be killed this season. The Montana Department of Livestock blatantly ignored the governor’s statement, capturing three bull buffalo at the Duck Creek trap on Monday and shipping them to slaughter without testing on Tuesday morning.

The continuation of the buffalo slaughter this week by the Department of Livestock adds insult to injury, with more than a third of the Yellowstone bison population having been eliminated since November, with no signs of stopping. The “historic announcement” issued by governor Schweitzer on April 17th, allowing buffalo more room to roam outside of the park boundaries, apparently has no merit along the park’s western boundary.

Even on the northern boundary of the park, the Park Service still continues to haze and harass the country’s last wild and free-roaming buffalo. 289 bison are currently being held at the Stephen’s Creek trap, some having been confined there for over two months now. The Stephen’s Creek trap has become a glorified buffalo feedlot, with grass and hay rations fed to the buffalo in masses, and just another factor contributing to the over-domestication of these purely wild beings.

Pregnant female bison held in the Stephen’s creek trap have given birth to 27 new calves this week along with 2 stillborn deliveries, making a total of 53 calves born in the trap. The Park Service is still waiting for ‘green up’ to release the bison from captivity, but the effect of captivity on the newborn calves is yet to be seen. Wild buffalo are migratory animals learning from a young age from the elders in their family groups how to survive. Being born in captivity, these newborn buffalo calves may suffer a severe disadvantage when they must fend for themselves in the wild.

Since the governor’s announcement that the Church Universal and Triumphant and the National Park Service have reached a compromise to allow buffalo room to roam on church lands, things are still bad for buffalo. Bison continue to roam out of the park to the church land in search of winter grasses, and the Park Service continues to haze them back. Any buffalo allowed to remain on the church land must run the ‘gauntlet’ first- they must be captured and tested, then implanted with vaginal transmitters before the Park Service will let them graze on church land, and then only 25 buffalo are allowed at a time.

While the sad news just keeps coming, there is a bright note for buffalo on the western boundary. This is the time of year when our field patrols get to experience first-hand the beauty of new life. With buffalo calving season well underway, our volunteers have had the pleasure of witnessing newborn buffalo taking their first awkward steps into the world. It is obvious by watching these newborns, and after their first few hours of life being able to walk right in pace with the herd by their mothers’ sides, that buffalo are genetically meant to roam. After a long season of slaughter this year, the first-hand experience of witnessing new buffalo life come to this world gives hope and determination for all of us to continue to fight for the rights of the sacred, ancient, beautiful creatures.

Please Contact Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and ask him why he is breaking his promise and continuing the federal tax-payer subsidized slaughter of America last wild, free-roaming bison.

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer
State Capitol
Helena, MT 59620
brianschweitzer@mt.gov
(P) (406) 444-3111

Roam Free~
Kasi

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* Call out for Summer Volunteers

Buffalo Field Campaign is in need of hard-working, self-motivated volunteers starting this June to help with cabin maintenance projects and/or to set up Buffalo outreach tables inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

Do You Have:
* Construction, carpentry, plumbing, cleaning, or automotive maintenance skills?
* An outgoing personality and knowledge of the issue with a willingness to communicate to visitors in Yellowstone?

If you have any of the skills listed here, then you should come and join us this summer. All volunteers will be provided with food and lodging at our main cabin outside of West Yellowstone in one of the most naturally beautiful areas of the country. If you have just a few weeks or the whole summer, Buffalo Field Campaign could use your help.

If you are interested in assisting with cabin maintenance projects this summer please contact BFC at: (406) 646-0070

If you are interested in helping with summer outreach projects inside of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks please contact Iwi at: summer@buffalofieldcampaign.org

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* Buffalo in the News

4/23/08 - People for the Buffalo
Jackson Hole News & Guide
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0708/news0708/042308.html

4/25/08 - Montana Food Bank Network Buys Bison Meat
Associated Press
http://www.kxmc.com/News/232366.asp
*NOTE: The agencies have always claimed that they “donate” the meat, heads and hides of slaughtered wild bison to tribal charities and food banks. Clearly, someone is making money off the slaughter of the last wild buffalo population.

4/28/08 - Where the Buffalo Roam — And Die
CNN ~ Planet in Peril
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/04/26/bison.slaughter/

4/28/08 - The Buffalo Fight Back
Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096417168

4/28/08 - Officials Halt Bison Slaughter
Casper Star Tribune (by Brett French of the Billings Gazette)
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2008/04/29/news/wyoming/bb09214110a775ff872574380021159b.txt

4/29/08 - Yellowstone Bison Population Halved
United Press International
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/04/29/yellowstone_bison_population_halved/4335/

4/29/08 - Yellowstone Bison Slaughter Halted, Meat Distributed to Food Banks
New West
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/yellowstone_bison_slaughter_halted_meat_distributed_to_food_banks/C74/L38/

4/30/08 - Bison Can Thrive Again
Science Daily
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429130927.htm

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* Photo of the Week

http://gallery.buffalofieldcampaign.org/v/photo_of_the_week/Duck+Creek+bison.jpg.html

Bull bison on Duck Creek. Three bulls were captured at Duck Creek and subsequently shipped to slaughter this week by Montana Department of Livestock officials. This photo is in memory of them.

Photo credit and thanks to Price Chambers, Jackson Hole News & Guide (WY).

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* Last Words

“In 1880, [Montana] was practically uninhabited. One could travel for miles without seeing so much as a traveler’s bivouac. Thousands of buffalo darkened the rolling plains. There were deer, elk, wolves and coyotes on every hill and in every ravine and thicket. . . . In the fall of 1883, there was not a buffalo remaining on the range and the antelope, elk, and deer were indeed scarce. . . [T]here were 600,000 head of cattle on the range. The cowboy . . . had become an institution.”

Granville Stuart, quoted in Donald Worster, Under Western Skies: Nature and History in the American West (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992).

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View BFC Video Footage:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

* NEW VIDEO! To Protect the Wild Bison
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/documentaries.html
——————————
Make a Secure Online Donation to BFC:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=1807
——————————
Why are they killing the last wild buffalo?
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/issueinbrief.html
——————————
* NEW! Buffalo Field Campaign Blog
http://www.blog.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

BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo in the U.S.

Stay informed! Get our weekly email Updates from the Field:
Send your email address to bfc-media@wildrockies.org

Protect Horse Butte for Wild Buffalo!
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/legal/horsebutte.html

BOYCOTT BEEF! It’s what’s killing wild buffalo
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/boycott.html

Speak Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html

Write a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html

Help the buffalo by recycling your used cell phones & printer cartridges:
It’s free and easy.
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html.

CNN broadcast this segment last night on Anderson Cooper’s program.

Where the buffalo roam — and die

KXMC is reporting that 15,000 pounds of Yellowstone bison meat was SOLD to the Montana Food Bank Network for 42¢ per pound. I have been personally told many times by Yellowstone officials and read in numerous press releases by MDoL that the meat is DONATED to food banks and tribal groups. There is a big difference between donating the meat and selling the meat.

Read it here:
Montana Food Bank network buys bison meat

Update: Another story is out:

Billings Food Bank buys 3,200 pounds of meat at 55 cents per pound

This photo was taken on Friday afternoon near West Yellowstone along the road to 7-Mile Bridge.

According to a local paper, this calf was “euthanized” by the Park Service. So much for natural regulation.

People claimed to have seen the calf nursing but the Park Service killed the calf presumably because the two were on the road and hadn’t gone to where there was grass which is in short supply this time of year.

Buffalo Field Campaign
Yellowstone Bison
Update from the Field
April 24, 2008
——————————
View BFC Video Footage:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

* NEW VIDEO! To Protect the Wild Bison
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/documentaries.html
——————————
Make a Secure Online Donation to BFC:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=1807
——————————
Why are they killing the last wild buffalo?
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/issueinbrief.html
——————————
* NEW! Buffalo Field Campaign Blog
http://www.blog.buffalofieldcampaign.org
——————————
Receive BFC’s updates or press releases.
Send your email address to bfc-media@wildrockies.org with “sub
updates” or “sub press release” in the subject line.
——————————
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2007-2008 Total: 1,601
2007-2008 Slaughter: 1,435
2007-2008 Hunt: 166
2007-2008 Quarantine: 112

Total Since 2000: 3,666*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts
——————————
——————————
In this issue:
* LAST CHANCE! Order Buffalo-Friendly Mother’s Day Cards Now!
* Update from the Field
* In Honor of Phil Morton ~ Celebrating a Buffalo Warrior’s Earth Day Birthday
* GoodSearch: Help BFC Every Time You Search the Internet
* Photo of the Week
* Last Words

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* LAST CHANCE! Order Buffalo-Friendly Mother’s Day Cards Now!

The deadline to order handcrafted Mother’s Day cards is tomorrow, Friday, April 25. Please take advantage of this opportunity to express your love and gratitude for the nurturing women in your life in a way that also helps the last wild buffalo. BFC can accept online orders only at this time. Contact barb at buffalo@wildrockies.org with questions or for more information.

ORDER NOW:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/artthoughts/mothersday08.html

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* Update from the Field

In the wake of the largest wild American buffalo slaughter since the 1800s, fewer than 2,300 buffalo remain. How can Yellowstone National Park possibly save face? They have shamefully joined the ranks of the 19th century hide hunters, who wastefully soaked this continent with buffalo blood.

Last Thursday, Governor Brian Schweitzer and Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis gathered in Bozeman, Montana to make an “historic announcement.” Did they admit to the shame of killing more wild buffalo than at any time since the 19th century? No. They celebrated yet another slap in the face to the last wild population: the most recent land deal with the Church Universal & Triumphant. It’s a bad deal for bison that will initially allow for only 25 captured, tested, and tagged buffalo to temporarily access a fraction of their native habitat. Read BFC’s press release http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0708/pressreleases0708/041708.html

The population has been reduced to such a dangerously low number the Park Service and Montana have been forced to cease slaughtering buffalo this season. It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that they recognize they are decimating this population and it’s unique genetics, but simply that the Interagency Bison Management Plan halts slaughter once the herds are reduced to 2,000 individuals. The Park says bulls may still be sent to slaughter because they are too “big and aggressive” to be held captive while the Park’s grass grows green. Everyone knows bull bison pose nearly a zero risk of transmitting brucellosis. In fact, the transmission of brucellosis from any wild bison to cattle has *never* happened; it is only a theory. We also all know that this buffalo war is not about brucellosis, but about money and control of land and control of wildlife. The truth of the brucellosis fraud is finally spreading, as indicated in the New York Times editorial last week, “The Sorry Myth of Brucellosis,” which many of you saw. If you haven’t seen it, check out
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/opinion/18fri4.html?ex=1209182400&en=78ab62392b4f9edc&ei=5070&emc=eta1

On the North Boundary, no buffalo have been transported to slaughter since we last wrote to you. Hazing operations continue, however, and more than 250 wild buffalo are being held captive in the Stephens Creek trap. Twenty buffalo calves have been born in captivity. So far, at least three of them have died as did one of the mothers. There are a handful of bulls who have walked onto private property, where there’s a handful of cattle, so it’s possible the Department of Livestock could arrive to shoot them. At the time of this writing, they are still alive.

On the West Boundary, no buffalo have been harassed by agents this week. This respite is critical, as winter has been extremely hard on the buffalo, who are doing all they can to survive after sustaining themselves on starvation foods for the bulk of the snowy season. A hazing operation would certainly kill them. Pregnant buffalo are especially vulnerable right now; plus they carry the future which is teetering on the brink at this point. We are shocked at the numbers of female buffalo we’ve seen who are either not pregnant or have been seen with afterbirth materials but no calf. However, patrols did spot four new calves on Horse Butte this week who all look quite healthy. And there are a handful of bulls we’ve been seeing that look big and healthy.

It is hard to hold on to hope in the wake of such a massive buffalo slaughter. But, we do. Buffalo have shown that they are strong survivors and the voices of their advocates are also growing and diversifying. Keeping in mind that we are dealing with a centuries-old range war, we know change is going to take time, but it will come. We are on the edge of it now. We give thanks to all of you who continue to apply pressure to decision-makers, spread the word, and help keep BFC on the front lines so we can tell this story. Endless pressure, endlessly applied will stop the seasons of slaughter from continuing. Be thorns in the sides of these agencies. Never give up. The buffalo don’t.

Roam Free,
~Stephany

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* In Honor of Phil Morton ~ Celebrating a Buffalo Warrior’s Earth Day Birthday

Dear Friends,

Earth Day would have been Phil’s 63rd birthday. Phil, a long-time and ardent supporter of the Yellowstone buffalo and the BFC, was an inspiration to those working on the front-lines to protect the buffalo. A first-rate wildlife videographer in his own right, Phil believed in BFC’s mission to document and share with the world the buffalo’s plight. … in his memory and honor, and in honor of Earth Day, I’m asking you to make a donation to the Buffalo Field Campaign
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=1807

I live in one of the most wildlife rich areas of this country. When I see elk, deer, moose, and antelope on the land, never in my wildest dreams would i think that if i came back the next day that they wouldn’t be there on the landscape … so different with the buffalo: when i see them on the bluffs, on the butte, anywhere on the earth, i feel honored to be in their presence … and then i am filled with anxiety — will they be there tomorrow? will they be needlessly killed because of the livestock industry’s political power structure and influence driving the IBMP mismanagement? … and then the deep sadness returns …

Believe me when I say this has been a tremendously sad and trying season as we have had the largest buffalo slaughter since the 1800s, mainly carried out by Yellowstone National Park! Buffalo Field Campaign staff and volunteers have been out in the field video-documenting the mismanagement acts by the agencies who are signatories to the Interagency Bison Management Plan.

Please visit our web site at www.buffalofieldcampaign.org to learn more about what has been going on and the various ways BFC is trying to stop the slaughter.

Last year, through the generosity of our friends contributing in memory and honor of Phil and Earth Day, we were able to purchase new field radios, absolutely critical elements in communicating what is happening in the field to both the main office and others on patrol. This year I am asking those who can contribute do so for our over-all general needs. Every day, 7 days per week, we run a minimum of 4 patrol cars here in the West Yellowstone area, and two in Gardiner MT just outside the north border of Yellowstone National Park. Gas this week is running at $3.549/gallon, up over a dollar from last year. Feeding 30-40 people per week is also expensive. Please give whatever you can.

You can make your donation online at:

https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=1807 or you can send a check made out to BFC addressed to: Office Coordinator, Buffalo Field Campaign, PO Box 957, West Yellowstone MT 59758-0957

Either way, please indicate that the donation is in honor and memory of Phil. I know that if he were still alive he would be on the front lines with BFC. As it is, his spirit inspires us to continue in our work.

BuffaLove,
barb
BFC Office Coordinator

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* Goodsearch: Help BFC Every Time You Search the Internet

Here’s a painless way to raise funds for BFC: Instead of Google-ing, go to http://www.goodsearch.com and enter Buffalo Field Campaign as the charity you want to support, then do your search.

According to Goodsearch’s information, if 10,000 people searched twice a day, it would generate $73,000.

There is a link to Goodsearch on our web site:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org on the right-hand sidebar. Pretty painless, eh? THANK YOU!

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* Photo of the Week

http://gallery.buffalofieldcampaign.org/v/photo_of_the_week/2008-04-24.html

Still skiing in late-April! BFC volunteer, Bud Pulaski, looks for wild buffalo along Cougar Creek near Yellowstone’s western boundary.

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* Last Words

1873 (Buffalo Diary)

“1873 was a very bad year for me
When all I feared just disappeared so suddenly
They got their tickets for the train
Raised their weapons and took aim
Laughing from the railroad tracks
They shot my brothers in the back

1873
No more thunder on the ground
Birds were flying round and round
Though the dust we kicked up no longer could be seen
And 1873 was a very bad year for me
1873 was a very bad year for me

We cradled their babies
Made up their houses
Covered their feet
They took what they needed
Never took us for granted
But they were defeated when people shot at me
In 1873

Laid out in the broken sun
Rain beat on us like a drum
The rhythm of that emptiness which shot my spirit free
In 1873
1873 was a very bad year for me”

~ Edie Brickell

——————————

–
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo in the U.S.

Stay informed! Get our weekly email Updates from the Field:
Send your email address to bfc-media@wildrockies.org

Protect Horse Butte for Wild Buffalo!
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/legal/horsebutte.html

BOYCOTT BEEF! It’s what’s killing wild buffalo
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/boycott.html

Speak Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html

Write a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html

Help the buffalo by recycling your used cell phones & printer cartridges:
It’s free and easy.
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html.

Dear Friend of the Buffalo,

A diverse coalition of tribal, conservation, hunting, animal welfare and wildlife groups, an outfitting business, and concerned citizens have filed an emergency rule making petition with the U.S. Department of the Interior seeking to stop the National Park Service from slaughtering wild bison inhabiting Yellowstone National Park and adjoining lands on the Gallatin National Forest in Montana.

This winter, Yellowstone National Park and the State of Montana have engaged in an unprecedented slaughter or removal of more than 1,700 bison that have migrated to their winter range near and beyond park borders.

One-third of the entire bison herd has been wiped out with 1,422 bison trapped and shipped to slaughterhouses on order from officials in the National Park Service and the Montana Department of Livestock under Governor Brian Schweitzer.

The coalition requests immediate measures be taken by the National Park Service to ensure bison’s long-term survival and health including protecting a minimum of 2,000 bison in each distinct bison population. That number would ensure that genetic diversity is conserved - allowing Yellowstone bison to naturally evolve and adapt to a changing environment, and retain important survival traits like natural migration and selection. The petition presents scientific evidence of at least two genetically distinct bison populations inhabiting Yellowstone National Park.

Please sign the petition to stop the U.S. National Park Service from slaughtering wild bison inside Yellowstone National Park http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/stoptheslaughter.html.

Let wild bison roam free on America’s public lands! Tell your friends, family, club, group, church, tribe, to sign on to the emergency petition.

America, this is your natural heritage, the last of our country’s wild bison in their native habitat. Thank you for you taking action action and protecting wild bison in Yellowstone.

Buffalo Field Campaign needs your support too. Volunteers have come from all over the United States to defend the buffalo on their native habitat. From sunrise to sunset, our volunteers migrate with the buffalo, and document every move made against them. This is our 11th year in the field and we could not be here with the wild buffalo without your support and contributions.

Make a Secure Online Donation to Buffalo Field Campaign today:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=1807

THANK YOU!
~ Buffalo Field Campaign
–

–
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo in the U.S.

Stay informed! Get our weekly email Updates from the Field:
Send your email address to bfc-media@wildrockies.org

Protect Horse Butte for Wild Buffalo!
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/legal/horsebutte.html

BOYCOTT BEEF! It’s what’s killing wild buffalo
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/boycott.html

Speak Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html

Write a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html

Help the buffalo by recycling your used cell phones & printer cartridges:
It’s free and easy.
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html.

Media stories in the last couple of days.

4/19
2,400 park bison dead (BFC quoted)
Jackson Hole News & Guide (Cory Hatch)
http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=2971

4/18
Yellowstone bison deal opens new access to land (BFC quoted)
Associated Press (Matt Brown)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jcEk2qNtLE_dK894-_DYvu2IysYwD90417AO0

Op-Ed: The sorry myth of brucellosis (Robert Hoskins!)
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/opinion/18fri4.html?_r=2&th=&oref=slogin&emc=th&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

1,436 to 2,300 wild buffalo left
Yellowstone Online (Jim Macdonald)
http://www.yellowstone-online.com/2008/04/1436-to-2300-yellowstone-buffalo-left.html

4/17
Deal opens corridor to bison (BFC quoted)
Jackson Hole News & Guide (Cory Hatch)
http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=2968

Yellowstone bison agreement provides additional habitat (BFC quoted)
New West (Lucia Stewart)
http://www.newwest.net/city/article/agreement_made_to_provide_yellowstone_bison_additional_habitat/C396/L396/

Bison cattle agreement (BFC quoted)
KULR - Billings (with video - yeah Mike!!)
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/17880429.html

Letters - In response to “Time to CUT a deal”
Missoula Independent
http://missoulanews.com/index.cfm?do=article.userOpinions&nav=News

From: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-16004.htm

This document is titled “Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Yellowstone National Park Bison Herd as Endangered”

It was issued in the Federal Register by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on August 15, 2007 which was 3017 days longer than was legal under the 90-day requirement of the Endangered Species Act.

“Mr. James Horsley of Moorhead, Minnesota, filed a petition dated January 5, 1999, with the Secretary of the Interior to list the “herd of buffalo at the Yellowstone National Park” “because it is endangered in a significant portion of its range.” Mr. Horsley requested that the Service list the herd as a subspecies or “distinct population group,” and to designate critical habitat in and adjacent to YNP. The Service received the petition on February 11, 1999. Action on this petition has been precluded until now because of higher priority listing actions. This finding does not consider critical habitat, which would only arise with a positive 12-month finding.”

You can read Mr. Horsley’s handwritten ESA petition here:
http://www.fws.gov/mountain%2Dprairie/species/mammals/yellowstonebison/petition.pdf

More information can be found here:
http://www.fws.gov/mountain%2Dprairie/species/mammals/yellowstonebison/

And there is even more under the fold:

[Federal Register: August 15, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 157)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 45717-45722]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15au07-33]

[[Page 45717]]

=======================================================================
———————————————————————–

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on
a Petition To List the Yellowstone National Park Bison Herd as
Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding.

———————————————————————–

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a
90-day finding on a petition to list the Yellowstone National Park
(YNP) bison herd as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (Act). On the basis of our review of the petition and
information readily available in our files, we have determined that
there is substantial information indicating that the YNP bison herd may
meet the criteria of discreteness and significance as defined by our
policy on distinct vertebrate population segments (DPS). However, we
have also determined that there is not substantial information
indicating that listing the YNP bison herd under the Act may be
warranted throughout all or a significant part of its range. We will
not initiate a status review in response to this petition. We ask the
public to submit to us any new information that becomes available
concerning the status of the YNP bison herd or threats to it or its
habitat at any time. This information will help us monitor and
encourage the conservation of the species.

DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on August 15,
2007. New information concerning this species may be submitted for our
consideration at any time.

ADDRESSES: Data, information, comments, or questions concerning this
petition finding should be submitted to the Assistant Regional
Director, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 134
Union Boulevard, Suite 645, Lakewood, Colorado 80228. The petition
finding and supporting information will be available for public
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above
address. The petition and finding are available on our Web site at
http://r6.fws.gov/mammals/bison.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Stempel, Assistant Regional
Director, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see
ADDRESSES section) (telephone 303-236-4253; facsimile 303-236-0027).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that we make a finding
on whether a petition to list, delist, or reclassify a species presents
substantial scientific or commercial information to indicate that the
petitioned action may be warranted. We are to base this finding on
information provided in the petition, supporting information submitted
with the petition, and information otherwise available in our files at
the time we make the determination. To the maximum extent practicable,
we are to make this finding within 90 days of our receipt of the
petition, and publish our notice of this finding promptly in the
Federal Register.
Our standard for substantial information within the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) with regard to a 90-day petition finding is “that
amount of information that would lead a reasonable person to believe
that the measure proposed in the petition may be warranted” (50 CFR
424.14(b)). If we find that substantial information was presented, we
are required to promptly commence a review of the status of the
species.
In making this finding, we relied on information provided by the
petitioners and information otherwise available in our files, and
evaluated that information in accordance with 50 CFR 424.14(b). Our
process of coming to a 90-day finding under section 4(b)(3)(A) of the
Act and section 424.14(b) of our regulations is limited to a
determination of whether the information in the petition meets the
“substantial information” threshold.
Mr. James Horsley of Moorhead, Minnesota, filed a petition dated
January 5, 1999, with the Secretary of the Interior to list the “herd
of buffalo at the Yellowstone National Park” “because it is
endangered in a significant portion of its range.” Mr. Horsley
requested that the Service list the herd as a subspecies or “distinct
population group,” and to designate critical habitat in and adjacent
to YNP. The Service received the petition on February 11, 1999. Action
on this petition has been precluded until now because of higher
priority listing actions. This finding does not consider critical
habitat, which would only arise with a positive 12-month finding.

Biology and Distribution

The bison (also referred to as the American buffalo) is a member of
the family Bovidae, which includes domestic cattle. Two subspecies of
bison are currently recognized in North America–the plains bison
(Bison bison bison) and the wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) (Boyd
2003, pp. 28-31). The species once ranged across central and western
North America, but market hunting nearly extirpated the herds by the
1880s.
Numerous Federal, State, and private bison herds currently exist in
the United States, but YNP is the only area in the United States where
bison have existed in the wild state since prehistoric times (Gates et
al. 2005, p. 92). Boyd (2003, p. 38) estimated the plains bison
population in North America at 500,000, and identified 50 herds
(containing approximately 19,200 head) currently being managed with
clear conservation objectives.
Many of the numerous bison herds currently extant in the United
States and Canada were reconstituted from stock that was used to
develop bison-cattle hybrids (Boyd 2003, p. 23). Research on 11 Federal
herds revealed that the bison herd in YNP was 1 of 3 that showed no
evidence of genetic introgression with cattle (Halbert 2003, pp. 86-87)
based on the alleles examined. (Introgression occurs when the genes of
one species infiltrate the genes of another through repeated
crossings.) The other two herds were Wind Cave National Park in South
Dakota and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming (Halbert 2003, p. 87),
although the Grand Teton sample size was small so confidence in the
results is lower than that for Wind Cave. More recently, the bison herd
at Sully’s Hill National Game Preserve in North Dakota has been sampled
and is not known to be introgressed, although the sample size was small
(Roffe 2005).
Halbert (2003, pp. 44-45) found only four of the Federal herds made
positive contributions to overall bison genetic diversity (measured in
terms of allelic richness and gene diversity). Those herds were: YNP,
National Bison Range (Montana), Wichita Mountains National Wildlife
Refuge (Oklahoma), and Wind Cave.
The winter 2005-2006 count of the YNP bison herd estimated the herd
size at 3,546 bison (Geremia and Wallen 2006), and the most recent
summer count estimated the herd size at 4,500 bison (Wallen 2007).

Subspecies

The bison in Yellowstone National Park are considered to be plains
bison

[[Page 45718]]

(Bison bison bison). As mentioned previously, Boyd (2003, p. 38)
estimated the plains bison population in North America at 500,000, and
identified 50 herds (containing approximately 19,200 head) currently
being managed with clear conservation objectives. Given the abundance
and management status of the subspecies, we have concluded that the
petition has not presented substantial information indicating that its
listing under the Act may be warranted.

Distinct Vertebrate Population Segment

The petitioner asked us to list the YNP bison herd as a “distinct
population group.” We assume that the petitioner meant a Distinct
Vertebrate Population Segment (DPS) for purposes of listing under the
Act. Under section 3(15) of the Act, we may consider for listing any
species, subspecies, or, for vertebrates, any DPS of these taxa. In
determining whether an entity constitutes a DPS, and is therefore
listable under the Act, we follow the Policy Regarding the Recognition
of Distinct Vertebrate Population Segments Under the Endangered Species
Act (DPS Policy) (61 FR 4722; February 7, 1996). Under our DPS Policy,
we must address three analytical steps prior to listing a possible DPS:
(1) The discreteness of the population segment in relation to the
remainder of the taxon; (2) the significance of the population segment
to the taxon to which it belongs; and (3) the population segment’s
conservation status in relation to the Act’s standards for listing
(i.e., is the population segment, when treated as if it were a species,
endangered or threatened) (61 FR 4722, February 7, 1996). This finding
considers whether the petition states a reasonable case that the
petitioned population may be a DPS.

Discreteness

Under the DPS Policy, a population segment of a vertebrate species
may be considered discrete if it satisfies either one of the following
two conditions: (1) It is markedly separated from other populations of
the same taxon as a consequence of physical, physiological, ecological,
or behavioral factors. Quantitative measures of genetic or
morphological discontinuity may provide evidence of this separation; or
(2) it is delimited by international governmental boundaries within
which significant differences in control of exploitation, management of
habitat, conservation status, or regulatory mechanisms exist (61 FR
4722, February 7, 1996).

Information Provided in the Petition on Discreteness

The petitioner asserts that the YNP bison “herd is the only wild,
unfenced buffalo herd in the nation,” but no specific citations are
provided to support this conclusion. Information in our files support
the conclusion that the YNP bison population is the only herd in the
United States that has remained in a wild state since prehistoric times
(Gates et al. 2005, p. 93). All other bison in the United States are
reconstituted herds and are confined with fencing, or otherwise range
restricted. Individuals from the Jackson bison herd in Grand Teton
National Park and the National Elk Refuge have been known to migrate
north into YNP, but this is a rare occurrence (Gates et al. 2005, p.
109). Therefore, we find that the YNP bison herd may be discrete from
other members of the taxon Bison bison because of physical distance and
barriers.

Significance

Under our DPS Policy, in addition to our consideration that a
population segment is discrete, we consider its biological and
ecological significance to the taxon to which it belongs. This
consideration may include, but is not limited to: (1) Evidence of the
persistence of the discrete population segment in an ecological setting
that is unique or unusual for the taxon; (2) evidence that loss of the
population segment would result in a significant gap in the range of
the taxon; (3) evidence that the population segment represents the only
surviving natural occurrence of a taxon that may be more abundant
elsewhere as an introduced population outside its historical range; and
(4) evidence that the discrete population segment differs markedly from
other populations of the species in its genetic characteristics (61 FR
4721; February 7, 1996).

Information Provided in the Petition on Significance

The petitioner asserts that the YNP bison herd is significant
within the meaning of our DPS policy because it is the last wild,
unfenced herd in the United States, and exhibits quasi-migratory
behavior when members of the herd leave YNP during the winter in search
of food. The petition also asserts that the herd may be a unique hybrid
of the wood and plains bison, and the herd has historical and cultural
significance to Native Americans. No citations are provided to
substantiate these statements.
(1) Evidence of the persistence of the discrete population segment
in an ecological setting that is unique for the taxon. The petitioner
asserts that YNP is the only area in the lower 48 States where bison
have existed in the wild state since prehistoric times. This statement
is consistent with Gates et al. (2005, p. 245), and indicates that the
YNP bison herd may exist in a unique ecological setting within the
meaning of our DPS Policy.
The petitioner’s assertion that the YNP bison were important to
Native Americans also is supported by Gates et al. (2005, p. 77) (e.g.,
“The Lamar Valley and the Yellowstone River Valley north to
Livingstone was an important area for bison and Native peoples
throughout the Holocene.”). We agree with the petitioner that the YNP
bison herd has substantial cultural and historical value. However, the
significance criteria in our DPS Policy are based on biological factors
identified in the Act that show that the population is significant to
the taxon, and not on human cultural or historical significance.
Therefore, we did not evaluate cultural and historical significance in
our DPS analysis, but rather relied solely on the scientific criteria
in the DPS Policy.
The petitioner asserts that the YNP is significant because of its
“quasi-migratory behavior.” Gates et al. (2005, p. 160) concludes
that YNP is a forage-limited system, and that, “Bison move beyond park
boundaries in winter in response to forage limitation caused by
interactions between population density, variable forage production
(driven by spring/early summer precipitation), snow conditions, and
herbage removal primarily by bison and elk.” Winter movement of large
herbivores, such as bison and elk, in search of forage is normal
behavior. The fact that bison and elk range outside the Park is not
unusual. Based on this information, we would not consider the YNP bison
herd movements to winter range outside the Park boundary as a unique
behavior within the meaning of our DPS Policy.
(2) Evidence that loss of the population segment would result in a
significant gap in the range of the taxon. The petition alleges that
the YNP bison herd is the only remaining wild, unfenced bison herd. As
discussed under “Biology and Distribution,” there are 3 other Federal
bison herds that show no evidence of introgression with domestic
cattle, based on sampling done to date. Because of the limited number
and extent of bison herds that show no evidence of introgression with
domestic cattle, we find that loss of the YNP

[[Page 45719]]

bison herd might result in a significant gap in the current range of
the taxon.
(3) Evidence that the population segment represents the only
surviving natural occurrence of a taxon that may be more abundant
elsewhere as an introduced population outside its historical range. The
petition provides no specific information to indicate that the YNP
bison herd would meet this criterion. As noted above, Gates et al.
(2005, p. 245) indicate that YNP is the only area in the lower 48
States where bison have existed in a wild state since prehistoric
times. Bison originally ranged across western North America; because
numerous herds have been reintroduced in the historic range, we have
determined that the YNP herd is not the only surviving natural
occurrence within its range. Additionally, the species is not more
abundant elsewhere outside its historic range.
(4) Evidence that the discrete population segment differs markedly
from other populations of the species in its genetic characteristics.
The petition alleges that the YNP bison herd may be a unique hybrid of
the wood and plains bison. No citations are provided, but this
conclusion was stated in Meagher (1973, pp. 14-16), who considered the
“mountain” bison a separate species. This controversy has since been
resolved, and YNP staff now considers the remnant population, as well
as the introduced bison, as being of plains bison origin (Boyd 2003,
pp. 182-183; Wallen 2006).
Additional information in our files compiled after this petition
was submitted indicates that the YNP bison herd is one of three Federal
herds that do not display genetic introgression with cattle.
Maintenance of genetic diversity is an important long-term goal for
management of species populations. Halbert (2003, p. 94), concluded her
study by stating: “In conclusion, this study has assessed levels of
domestic cattle introgression in 10 federal bison populations and
identified at least 2 populations, Wind Cave and YNP, which at this
time do not have any evidence of domestic cattle introgression and also
have high levels of unique genetic variation in relation to other
federal populations. As such, these populations should be given
conservation priority * * *” Thus, we conclude that the YNP bison herd
satisfies this genetic criterion of significance under the DPS Policy.

DPS Determination

The Grand Teton National Park/National Elk Refuge bison herd is
separate from the YNP herd (Gates et al. 2005, p. 93), and there are
less than a dozen other unconfined bison herds in the entire lower 48
States (Gates et al. 2005, p. 2). Therefore, the YNP herd is discrete
from other members of the taxon. Recent genetic research confirms that
the YNP bison herd is significant because of a lack of nuclear domestic
cattle introgression. Although 3 other Federal herds exhibit this
characteristic, the YNP bison are the only remnant population that has
remained in a wild state since prehistoric times and, therefore, is
important to the management of bison genetic diversity. Halbert (2003,
pp. 44-45) found only four Federal herds that were sufficiently unique
to contribute significantly to overall bison genetic diversity.
On the basis of the preceding discussion, we believe that there is
substantial information to conclude that the YNP bison herd may be
discrete and significant within the meaning of our DPS Policy, and
therefore may constitute a DPS.
According to our DPS Policy, if a population of a species is found
to be both discrete and significant, we then evaluate the conservation
status of the population in relation to the listing factors found in
section 4(a)(1) of the Act. Our assessment of the conservation status
of the YNP bison herd, based on the information provided in the
petition and our files, is provided in the “Conservation Status”
section below.

Conservation Status

Pursuant to section 4(a) of the Act, we may list a species of a
taxon on the basis of any one of the following factors: (A) Present or
threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat or
range; (B) overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes; (C) disease or predation; (D) inadequacy of
existing regulatory mechanisms; or (E) other manmade or natural factors
affecting its continued existence.

Factor A. The Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or
Curtailment of the Species’ Habitat or Range

The petition asserts that the natural range of the YNP bison herd
is being curtailed by the interruptions of its members’ attempts to
move out of the Park. The petitioner alleges that in 1996 the herd
numbered approximately 3,000 head, and that over 1,000 of these bison
were “slaughtered” outside YNP in the winter of 1996-1997, which
threatened the “quasi-migratory” behavior of the herd.
The petitioner is correct concerning the culling of YNP bison
outside the Park in the winter of 1997. Since the 1920s, bison that
venture out of YNP into Montana have been subject to various lethal and
non-lethal measures to control brucellosis (Gates et al. 2005, p. 83),
which is a contagious, costly disease of ruminant (cud-chewing)
animals, such as bison, cattle, and swine. Since 1934, there has been a
national Cooperative State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication Program,
because the disease causes decreased milk production, weight loss in
livestock, loss of young, infertility, and lameness (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahps/brucellosis/
). Culling of bison in interior

YNP for population and brucellosis control ceased in 1968 (Gates et al.
2005, p. 87).
However, the population data for the YNP bison herd do not support
the petitioner’s assertion that the 1997 bison mortality in Montana
threatens the herd or its range. Since the winterkill and lethal
brucellosis control actions in Montana during 1997, the YNP bison herd
has continued to grow despite culling for population and brucellosis
control, and currently numbers approximately 4,500 head (Wallen 2007).
Additional information on culling is provided under Factor B.
The petitioner’s assertion that hazing and killing of bison outside
the Park will affect the “quasi-migratory” behavior of the herd, and
will result in a restriction of the range is not supported by
information available in our files. Bison in YNP attempt to compensate
for declining per capita food resources by range expansion (Gates et
al. 2005, p. 131). In other words, bison move out of the Park in the
winter in search of food, and this pattern has continued since
implementation of the Joint Bison Management Plan (discussed in greater
detail under Factor D) in 2000 (Clarke et al. 2005, p. 29). Therefore,
the available information indicates that control actions have not
affected the “quasi-migratory” ranging behavior of the YNP herd.

Factor B. Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or
Educational Purposes

As mentioned under Factor A, the petitioner alleges that in 1996
the herd numbered approximately 3,000 head, and that over 1,000 of
these bison were “slaughtered” outside YNP in the winter of 1996-
1997. The petition claims that “Half the herd is now gone due to their
slaughter.”
However, as stated under Factor A, the population data for the YNP
bison herd do no support the contention that half the herd is now gone
due to lethal

[[Page 45720]]

control. In fact, since the winterkill and lethal brucellosis control
actions in Montana during 1996-97, the YNP bison herd has continued to
grow, and currently numbers approximately 4,500 head (Wallen 2006).
Breeding success has been steady for at least 100 years, in spite of
culling for population and brucellosis control (Fuller 2003, pp. 21-
28). As part of the Joint Bison Management Plan, variable numbers of
bison may be removed from the herd to maintain optimal population size
and for brucellosis control. In addition, the Joint Bison Management
Plan establishes that when the population drops to 2,300 bison,
measures to protect bison will be increased. Management mortality would
cease if the herd drops to 2,100 head. The herd may stabilize at about
3,500 to 3,800 head, but could fluctuate over time based on the
severity of winter weather (USDI and USDA 2000, pp. 51-52).

Factor C. Disease or Predation

The petitioner provides no information on this factor, and we have
no information in our files to indicate that the current conservation
status of the YNP bison herd is affected by disease or predation.
Although brucellosis is endemic to the herd, the disease does not
appear to be a threat because the population continues to grow at a
rate of between 5 and 8 percent (Fuller 2006, pp. 21-24). The Joint
Bison Management Plan provides a detailed set of procedures for
managing the YNP bison herd in conjunction with the brucellosis control
program in Montana.
Gates et al. (2005, p. 51) concluded that predation may become
increasingly important as reintroduced wolves learn how to kill bison,
but there is no information in our files to indicate that predation is
a threat at this time.

Factor D. The Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms

The petitioner implies that existing regulatory mechanisms are
inadequate to ensure protection of the YNP bison herd because some
animals are killed outside the Park. We are assuming that, based on the
information in our files, the petitioner is referring to lethal control
of bison in conjunction with Montana’s brucellosis control program.
During the 1990s, a Bison Management Plan for the State of Montana
and YNP (Joint Bison Management Plan) was developed. A Final
Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision on the plan was
issued by the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Agriculture on December 20, 2000 (available at http://www.planning.nps.gov/document/yellbisonrod%2Epdf
). The Joint Bison

Management Plan provides a detailed set of procedures for managing the
YNP bison herd in conjunction with the brucellosis control program in
Montana.
The Joint Bison Management Plan has a population target of greater
than 2,100 bison (USDI and USDA 2000, pp. 51-52). The plan contains
contingency measures to assure that the conservation status of the herd
remains secure. If exigent circumstances arise during severe winters,
the agencies agree to temporarily modify elements of the plan to
mitigate total removal of bison. If the bison population declines to
2,300 within a single winter, the agencies will meet to evaluate
modifications to the prevailing management prescriptions that could
reduce the total management removal of bison from the population (USDI
and USDA 2000, p. 52). If the bison population declines below 2,100
within a single winter, the agencies will, on a temporary basis for
that winter, increase implementation of non-lethal management measures.
One of the primary goals of the Joint Bison Management Plan is to
provide for a “free-ranging bison herd” (USDI and USDA 2000, p. 6).
The herd may stabilize at about 3,500 to 3,800 head, but could
fluctuate over time based on the severity of winter weather (USDI and
USDA 2000, pp. 51-52). This size range was identified by YNP staff as
sufficient to protect the long-term status of the herd. The latest
conservation genetics information indicates that a population in this
range should be able to sustain the current level of genetic diversity
indefinitely without the need for introducing immigrants from other
populations (Wallen 2006).
The Joint Bison Management Plan Status Review Team recently
completed an analysis of the adaptive management elements of the plan
(Clarke et al. 2005, pp. 28-29). With regard to YNP bison population
abundance, the team found that the abundance of bison has grown
steadily since the implementation of the Joint Bison Management Plan
(see Figure 1). The population reached almost 4,900 head in the summer
of 2005, and now numbers around 4,500. Winter weather conditions have
been mild to average during the first 5 years, and the population has
not dropped below 2,300 bison. The late winter population has been
above the popul