Buffalo Allies of Bozeman

sent out by member Glenn Hockett. Update: Unfortunately, we have confirmed that the nine bulls have been sent to slaughter. All the same, please let these officials know your extreme displeasure at the breaking of the promise that the slaughter was over for the season.

All:

YOUR URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED: Nine trophy Montana bull bison are currently captured and being held in the Duck Creek bison trap, located just outside of Yellowstone's western boundary. The Department of Livestock says they intend to truck these wild Montana bull bison to slaughter soon.

Over 1600 bison have been removed from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem this winter/spring due to inadequate habitat planning by the governor of Montana and the various interagency bison management planning members that carry out his adopted PLAN. The current PLAN is nothing more than a license to eradicate free ranging wild bison from Montana. It is time to stop the B.S. and demand common sense action.

This is a letter (download the .doc file) of support for the 2009 Montana Wild Buffalo Recovery and Conservation Act (draft pdf - see also attachments listed at the bottom of this), supported by our ally, the Gallatin Wildlife Association, that they plan to push in the Montana legislature in 2009. Please consider sending some form of this letter, as discussed below.

To Whom It May Concern:

Late yesterday afternoon, there were thousands of people waiting to see Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama speak in Bozeman.

Knowing that a few days in advance, I created the flyer shown in the picture, which you can also download as a pdf. Because the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) has three federal agencies as its partners, it was fitting that we try to convince people who are supporting the man who might be the next president, to do something about the buffalo in part by pulling the federal government's support for this terrible plan.

I couldn't have possibly created enough flyers. They went out of my hands so fast as people waited in line to enter the event.

Some of us in Buffalo Allies of Bozeman went over to the State Capitol building in Helena to support Buffalo Field Campaign's rally for the wild buffalo in and near Yellowstone National Park and to protest Governor Brian Schweitzer's part in the largest slaughter of wild buffalo than at any time since the 19th century.

This season to date 1,607 buffalo have been killed, according to Buffalo Field Campaign. As the killing continued, I joined a new group dedicated to providing support for the buffalo. One part of that mission is to provide solidarity to other groups with related missions. As a result, those in our group gladly support Buffalo Field Campaign; a few of us found the time to take the trip to Helena - a town I personally had never before been.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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.

This is the new site of Buffalo Allies of Bozeman (formerly at http://bozemanactivist.wordpress.com).

We are a a consensus-based grassroots organization in the Bozeman, Montana area focused on:

- 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 previous tenets of our mission.