Buffalo Allies of Bozeman (BAB) will be hosting a two-part workshop at the 2008 Northern Rockies Bioneers Conference on October 16-19. The workshops, entitled "Plight of the Yellowstone Buffalo" will include talks from Mike Mease of the Buffalo Field Campaign, Kristine Reed from the InterTribal Bison Cooperative (ITBC) Jason Baldes from Montana State University, and BAB members Jim Macdonald and Chris Klatt.

The first workshop session will take place on Saturday, October 18th from 4:45 to 6pm in the Down to Earth Yoga Studio at the Emerson Cultural Center. This session will focus on the "Past, Present, and Future" of Yellowstone's bison herd and how the history of these animals is inexorably linked to the history of people that have depended on them for their cultural survival. Jim Macdonald and Mike Mease will also discuss the current obstacles that face the Yellowstone buffalo herds today, especially in light of last winter's government-sponsored slaughter of more than 1600 buffalo, which is the largest slaughter since the 19th century.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

(Bozeman, Mont.) – State and Federal government agencies partnered in the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) met last week in response to federal mandates from the Government Accountability Office calling for the partners "to enhance the agencies’ collaboration and accountability to the public." The meeting, which took place August 6th and 7th at the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Regional Headquarters, fell short of these goals as individuals from the public were not allowed to ask questions of the agencies.

editors's note: Darrell Geist of Buffalo Field Campaign took extensive notes from the meeting of the partners of the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) in Bozeman on August 6 and 7, 2008. He has given us permission to publish the notes here.

August 6, 2008

For what they are worth, sending these notes along to you all.

I used my 3 minutes to formally request that a management alternative that designates Horse Butte as wild buffalo habitat be placed on the agenda at one of their planned Interagency Bison Management Plan meetings for public deliberation and decision making. The clearly definable objective: allow wild buffalo to roam and occupy Horse Butte without government harassment and harm. My two cents in three minutes time.

The map on the left, courtesy of Buffalo Field Campaign, shows bison herds and migrations inside of and outside of Yellowstone National Park. All the problems with and all the inspiration we have of buffalo herds must take these migrations into account.

Humans have an issue with migration because the variance in movement often comes against boundaries that humans have set up. Many Americans have trouble with the migration of people, especially from Mexico, who are often escaping the economic boundaries placed on their own existence by global trade policies - many of them promoted by American politicians. Boundaries create boundaries, and the consequences of the boundaries often create unexpected movements. In 1872, Congress set aside Yellowstone National Park, with boundaries that have not changed a great deal since then. No one could communicate with the animals those boundaries, but each animal has had its movement impacted by those boundaries and others.

What: Community Potluck
When: 7 PM, Sunday, August 31, 2008
Where: Cooper Park (S. 8th and W. Koch)

All are welcome! Please bring food to share if you can, but plenty will be available.

Join the Buffalo Allies of Bozeman for a community meal in honor of the wildlife of our bioregion!

For questions, please contact Chris at lodgepole@riseup.net .

Spread the word! Give out this flyer announcing the potluck.