Comment from Naples, Jean

Jean NaplesSupportIndividual

Summary: Dr. Jean Marie Naples, a physician and public health advocate, strongly supports listing the Yellowstone bison as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The commenter argues that the bison are currently threatened by habitat loss, human development, and a lack of federal protection despite their status as the national mammal.

I am writing as a physician and public health advocate who strongly supports full protection for our endangered Buffalo calves in Yellowstone, Montana by directing the federal government to cover full protection for the American Buffalo under the Endangered Species Act. I strongly support this designation and protection because American Buffalo or Bison have been officially recognized as America’s National Mammal, However, I am very disturbed by the fact that this honorable designation offers no protection for the country’s only continuously wild population of unique and distinct Yellowstone bison herds as Endangered Wild Animal Species. I am alerting you to the fact that our government has decimated the genetically distinct Central herd and the number of bison in the subpopulation remains highly endangered and dangerously low. I am also very concerned because human land use has destroyed more than 85% of the Yellowstone bison’s range and the ecosystem habitat. Please understand that this has occurred while the government prohibits and excludes the migratory species from exploring and roaming from millions of acres of National public trust lands in this bioregion. Please also understand human developments have destroyed all 14 long distance migration corridors for Yellowstone bison to have the ability tom escape dangerous and catastrophic events and an inhospitable environment that has been created by our government. At this time, livestock control and veterinary management threaten the ability for Yellowstone bison’s wild genome to survive, despite the fact that this genome was forged by their ancestors over thousands of years in a wild environment. I am very worried about the fact that Yellowstone bison may not be able to adapt their body size in time to match the rapid environmental change in climate and the rising daily temperatures that are forecast and are now being observed to occur over this next century. I also acknowledge that the U.S. Congress is also at fault because they expressly direct federal agencies to do nothing to ensure protection from slaughter for American bison under the National Bison Legacy Act. Please realize that Nothing in this Act or the adoption of the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States shall be construed or used as a reason to alter, change, modify, or otherwise affect any plan, policy, management decision, regulation, or other action by the Federal Government. I am alerting you to the fact that the U.S. government cannot honor and protect our National Mammal from slaughter by threatening their existence in the one place the wild migratory species still roams their original territory in the United States. Which is Yellowstone National Park. At this time, I thank you for your consideration of my letter and request. To ensure the ability for our endangered National Mammal, the American Buffalo to recover, survive and avoid slaughter, I am writing to alert you to the fact that it is past time to please grant Endangered Species Act protection for recovering wild American bison herds on federal public lands in Yellowstone National Park. Sincerely, Jean Marie Naples, MD-Ph.D. Suffern, NY 10901-4250 Jeannaples7@gmail.com

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