[MCN] Part 3 <Yellowstone Bison>

[John Meyer]

After being overturned by U.S. Senator Steve Daines/Congress on my last three court wins for public lands/endangered species, I've learned it is important to not only have the law and the science on your side, but also public opinion. In order to win in the court of public opinion, you have to ensure the public understands the issue. As Nelson Mandela says, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

This is the 3rd and final part of a series that is designed to educate and promote conversation around management of Yellowstone bison.

Education

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Yellowstone buffalo herd began to migrate during the winter into Montana. The State of Montana sued the Federal government because the buffalo were causing economic damage. After several rounds of litigation involving Montana, the Feds, and environmental groups, a district court ordered Montana and the Feds into a settlement mediation.

In 2000, the Interagency Bison Management Plan “IBMP” was born. The IBMP requires the state and federal agencies to work together to contain YNP bison within the Park except as monitored and controlled by the agency partners according to the overall wildlife plan.

The IBMP does not allow buffalo to roam north of Yankee Jim Canyon for fear of a buffalo passing brucellosis to a cow. The State of Montana and Federal Government historically hazed buffalo back into Yellowstone with helicopters, four wheelers, and horses before the cows were released onto public land. In 2005, the IBMP was adjusted to allow bison hunting in the State of Montana by licensed hunters and American Indians with Treaty Rights.

Today, Native and non-Native American hunters line up and wait for Yellowstone Buffalo to walk out of the Park and begin shooting.  For the most part, the State of Montana and Federal Government no longer have to haze bison back into Yellowstone because hunters kill them as soon as they leave the Park.

The “hunt” has become dangerous because too many people are in too small of an area. Local residents are concerned somebody is going to get killed. MT Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has stated the fear of a hunter being killed is real. 

Governor Bullock previously issued an order that allows buffalo to travel farther out of Yellowstone on the west side of the Park. He can issue an order allowing bison to travel farther out of Yellowstone onto public land on the north side of Park also.

In 2018, Cottonwood filed a lawsuit against Governor Bullock and the Feds challenging the lack of analysis for the dangerous hunt and failing to consider new science from the National Academy of Sciences that says elk are the vector of disease, not buffalo. 

Cottonwood is now preparing to ask the Ninth Circuit to postpone the dangerous buffalo hunt to protect human safety.

Conversation Starter

Do you support postponing the dangerous Yellowstone buffalo hunt?

Do you support Governor Bullock issuing an order that allows buffalo to migrate north of Yankee Jim Canyon to repopulate public lands and disperse hunting pressure?

Next week

Next week we’ll tackle an issue that most public figures refuse to acknowledge: overpopulation. 






 








John Meyer
Executive Director & General Counsel 
Cottonwood Environmental Law Center
P.O. Box 412 Bozeman, MT 59771
John at Cottonwoodlaw.org
(406) 546-0149

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