Yellowstone National Park wants to change the way it manages herds of bison within the park.
And that could have consequences that stretch beyond the park’s natural borders.
If the proposed shift were to be implemented, it could mean larger herds, more hunting opportunities beyond the park’s boundaries, and more bison to be placed on tribal lands.
The National Park Service’s final environmental impact statement for bison management was published Friday in the Federal Register, kicking off a 30-day waiting period before the National Park Service’s record of decision on the plans is finalized.
The main crux of their new proposal comes down to something so small, it’s only visible under a microscope: the bacteria that causes Brucellosis, which causes cattle to abort their young. It’s been a major concern of ranchers as well as conservationists for many years.
Brucellosis is a nonnative, bacterial disease that induces abortions in pregnant cattle, elk, and bison . The bacteria that causes the disease, Brucella abortus, can be transmitted between animals if they come into contact with infected birth tissues. While brucellosis has not had a substantial effect on wildlife populations, it could potentially be a huge financial risk to ranchers because it can reduce the reproductive rate and marketability of their animals. When brucellosis is detected, livestock authorities clamp down on the rancher. They restrict the movement and sale of cattle, depending on what a follow-up investigation reveals, according to WyoFile. The most common method for resolving infections is herd quarantine and “bleed out.” Veterinarians test the animals, slaughter those that reveal exposure to brucellosis, and test again until all results come back negative three times. The cost of testing and quarantining herds of cattle is upon the rancher and that can cost upwards of $140,000, on average, for a 400-cow herd, according to researchers at the University of Wyoming.
That could break an operation.
Billions of dollars have been spent to eradicate brucellosis from cattle in this country. In the United States, Brucella abortus only persists in the bison and elk populations of the Greater Yellowstone Area.
Historically, the park, federal, state, and tribal agencies have kept bison from expanding outside of the Yellowstone area. The animals, if they roam too far, are usually wrangled back into the park, captured-and-quarantined, or shot by tribal members.
But the new plan, if implemented, would allow a more aggressive and comprehensive approach actions, while still coordinating and working with other federal, state, and tribal partners that work under the existing Interagency Bison Management plan.
The park’s goal would be to manage a herd of up to 6,000 animals, which would be a small expansion from the 24-year-old existing plan, and “would facilitate bison recovery; improve hunting opportunities outside the park; enhance local, regional, and tribal economies; and enrich the experiences of tribal members, residents, and visitors,” according to the park.
A senior Yellowstone program manager with the National Parks Conservation Association described the plan as an necessary and “important next step,” that is science-based and would allow bison to thrive within the confines of Yellowstone National Park.
After years of tension between federal agencies and Montana Republican Governor Greg Gianforte’s administration over bison management, the plan could be accepted as a compromise. Gianforte joined the Montana Stock Growers Association and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen back in 2022, in opposing efforts to expand bison grazing on BLM land in north-central Montana. The prior year, the state agreed not to explore the possibility of bison-introduction to state-managed land for 10 years in a lawsuit settlement.
The park’s governing body is expected to formally adopt the new, expanded bison-management plan at the conclusion of a 30-day wait period.
