Comment from Mih, Valerie
Valerie MihSupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter urges the government to list the Yellowstone Bison as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. They argue that the bison are a unique subspecies with small numbers that are currently threatened by hunting and lack of scientific monitoring.
I write to urge declaring the Yellowstone Bison an Endangered Species with protection under the Endangered Species Act. Yellowstone Bison are a unique and distinct subspecies of wild bison in the United States, and the ONLY populations that still exists in a wild-like state in the Continental U.S. Bison which used to number in the millions and roam across the continent are now only able to roam freely in Yellowstone. However, their numbers are small and may not be enough to sustain the subspecies in the face of coming ecosystem challenges. Moreover, they are subjected to intentional killing and a hunting season without the supervision of scientists or an overall impact analysis. One the one hand the government is spending taxpayer dollars to conserve and revive the Yellowstone bison, and on the other hand they are being killed off in large numbers in non-scientifically monitored hunts. This is illogical and a waste of both taxpayer dollars, and priceless biodiversity. What a tragedy it would be to lose this one remaining small population of wild American bison. Please stand on the right side of history and give the small remaining number of Yellowstone bison hope for future generations, by protecting them and supporting them under the Endangered Species Act.