Comment from Anonymous
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Summary: The commenter supports the listing of Yellowstone bison under the Endangered Species Act to protect them from excessive hunting, habitat loss, and human development. They argue that current state-led management favors the cattle and hunting industries over the conservation of wild, migratory bison.
I support the listing of Yellowstone bison under the ESA. For too long, DOI has allowed the state of Montana to dictate wildlife management. It's time to represent the majority of Americans and protect wildlife. Ag and hunting interests should not dictate the management of species like bison and allowing "hunts" at the border serves the interests of the cattle industry. Additional reasons:<br/>Excessive hunting along Yellowstone’s North and West boundaries that blocks migration to available habitat, prevents restoration, and results in numerous pregnant females being killed.<br/>The presence of invasive cattle along with accompanying fencing takes away critical habitat.<br/>Human developments such as agricultural lands, sub-divisions, roads, etc., have all but destroyed ancient migration corridors and habitat connectivity.<br/>Government-created “drop dead zones” and “intolerance zones” prevent wild, migratory bison from accessing public and private lands.<br/>The lack of safe passage infrastructure along dangerous highways, specifically U.S. Hwy. 191, which cut through a critical migration corridor in Montana’s Hebgen Basin.<br/>The poor decision by the USNF Gallatin National Forest denied wild, migratory buffalo Species of Conservation Concern status.<br/>The draconian law, MCA 81-2-120, gives authority over wild, migratory bison to the Montana Department of Livestock.<br/>Climate changes resulting in accelerated rises in temperature and less precipitation that impairs these Ice Age mammals’ evolutionary potential, by threatening their ability to adapt to increased and prolonged heat.<br/>Climate changes alters the composition of grasses and sedges rendering them less nutritious.<br/>The refusal of the State of Montana to allow buffalo to migrate onto buffalo-friendly private lands.<br/>The massive fence and cattle guard at Yankee Jim Canyon, north of the Gardiner Basin, aims to prevent wild, migratory buffalo from accessing ancestral home ranges.<br/>Wild, migratory bison exist on less than 1% of their historic ancestral home ranges.<br/>The bison ranching industry which has reduced bison to livestock and has given the false impression that bison have been “recovered” throughout their native range.