Article Summary –
Yellowstone National Park is proposing a major change in its strategy for managing bison. The new plan, prepared in response to research on brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can cause cattle to abort their young, could mean larger herds, expanded hunting opportunities beyond park borders, and more bison transfers to tribal governments. The park’s plan will manage the herd for 3,500-6,000 animals, a modest expansion from the status quo alternative, and will aim to facilitate bison recovery and improve hunting opportunities, among other goals.
Yellowstone National Park Proposes New Bison Management Plan
Yellowstone National Park is proposing a significant change in its approach to bison management. This shift could lead to larger herds, increased hunting opportunities beyond park borders, and more bison transfers to tribal governments.
The park has prepared its new bison management plan in response to research on brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can cause cattle to abort their young. This research suggests that brucellosis transmission to livestock is more likely from elk than bison, challenging previous beliefs that shaped the park’s bison management for over two decades.
The park and other federal, state, and tribal agencies have traditionally restricted bison’s expansion outside park borders. Measures such as capture-and-quarantine, hazing back inside the park, shipping to slaughterhouses, or hunting, mainly by tribal members, have been used to control the bison population.
The Montana Stockgrowers Association and others have sought to limit bison presence outside the park, citing risks linked to brucellosis transmission, fence damage, and forage loss.
The park’s new plan, an environmental impact statement, allows for some hazing and “ship-to-slaughter” operations, while aiming to manage the herd for 3,500-6,000 animals. It seeks to facilitate bison recovery, enhance hunting opportunities, boost local and tribal economies, and enrich the experiences of tribal members, residents, and visitors.
Michelle Uberuaga, Senior Yellowstone Program Manager with the National Parks Conservation Association, has described the plan as an “important next step” that is science-based and will allow bison to flourish in Yellowstone.
The plan was released amid tensions between the federal government and Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration over bison management. The U.S. Interior Department last year pledged to invest $25 million in bison restoration efforts, while Gianforte opposed an effort to expand bison grazing on federal land and agreed not to explore bison introduction on state-managed land for at least a decade.
The park administration is expected to formally adopt the new plan after a 30-day wait period.
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