Comment from Buffalo Field Campaign
Buffalo Field CampaignSupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter highlights numerous threats to the wild bison population in Yellowstone, including habitat loss, human development, and management practices like trapping and domestication. They argue that these factors justify and necessitate the protection and recovery of the species under the Endangered Species Act.
Yellowstone is home to our nation's and the world's only continuously wild and free roaming bison. There are many factors threatening Yellowstone bison in the wild, a few are listed here:<br/><br/>Loss of habitat and home range to cattle.<br/>Loss of long distance migration corridors to human developments.<br/>Loss of connectivity to habitat impairing bison’s ability to migrate in response to natural or human-made disturbances.<br/>Exclusionary management boundaries preventing bison’s natural migrations on public lands.<br/>The State of Montana’s intolerance for wild bison in the state.<br/>Yellowstone National Park’s trapping bison for slaughter operations - ongoing since 1996 and the single largest source of mortality.<br/>The U.S. Forest Service’s land management plan excluding bison from substantial portions of the migratory species’ National Forest range and habitat.<br/>Management actions leading to the domestication of the wild species such as trapping, quarantining, vaccinating, birth control experiments, etc.<br/>Management actions impairing bison’s ability to naturally adapt and evolve in the Yellowstone ecosystem.<br/>Montana Dept. of Livestock authority over wild bison migrating into the state (MCA § 81-2-120).<br/>The lack of State and federal measures for conserving Yellowstone bison in the wild.<br/>Rapidly rising temperatures threaten bison’s ability to adapt to increased heat stress.<br/>Less nutritious grasses resulting from climate change.<br/><br/>Any factor threatening or endangering Yellowstone bison is cause for protecting and recovering wild bison under the Endangered Species Act.
