Comment from Rosin, Cindy

Cindy RosinSupportIndividual

Summary: The commenter urges the agency to protect the Yellowstone bison population under the Endangered Species Act, arguing that they are the last wild, migratory bison in the U.S. They contend that the species faces five threat factors, including habitat destruction, overhunting, disease, inadequate management plans, and threats from the cattle industry.

I am commenting to urge you to protect the bison population in and around Yellowstone under the Endangered Species Act. This Distinct Population Segment of bison are the last wild, migratory, and free-roaming bison left in the United States. They are the direct descendants of the few that were saved from extinction at the end of the 19th century, and they need continues protection to ensure they do not go extinct in the future. They face all five threat factors listed in the Endangered Species Act. Factor A: The present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range Human developments, private property, highways, fences, and arbitrary “no-tolerance” zones have severely restricted the usable habitat of these herds. Wild bison occupy less than 1% of their historical range. Their migratory patterns and habitat usage have also been altered in the extreme by destructive management actions. Factor B: Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes This small population of bison continues to be severely culled every year that they leave the confines of Yellowstone – both by extreme overhunting (nearly 20% of the herd was killed by hunters this season alone), and by capture for a quarantine program that removes bison from the wild and transfers them to domesticated herds. Factor C: Disease or predation The disease that all of the management claims to be about, brucellosis, is actually a cattle disease that was transferred over to bison and other ungulates in the wild. Additionally, they face health threats from the declining gene pool as the numbers in the two distinct sub-populations continue to dwindle. Factor D: The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms The main management mechanism, the Interagency Bison Management Plan, is not just “inadequate” to achieve it’s stated goal to “maintain a wild, free-ranging bison population”; it is the main driver of the slaughter of bison at the behest of the livestock industry. Factor E: Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence The cattle industry’s intolerance for wild bison continues to threaten wild bison. The influence that industry has on Montana policy ensures that Montana will never act on their own to protect these herds. Climate change also threatens their survival, as it alters the weather, the habitat, and their forage. They will need extra protection in the future to be able to face these changes. Any species that had dwindled to a population of less than 5,000 individuals would immediately be considered for protection. In this case, the numbers of ranched bison and other managed herds are used to claim that the bison have fully recovered as a species, but that is a false picture that does not take into account the unique and important role wild and migratory bison play in the landscape. They must be protected, and it is clear that Montana and Yellowstone will not do it on their own.

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