Comment from Voss, Alexandra

Endangered and Threatened Species: 90-Day Finding for Three Petitions to List the Yellowstone Bison<br/>Federal Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2022-0028<br/>Jun 5, 2022<br/><br/>In the 19th century, the North American bison, including the plains bison (Bison bison bison), roamed the United States in the millions. The iconic American species were slaughtered to the point of near extinction (&gt;1000) due to unchecked hunting for commodities such as meat and hides, but also for sport, and the detriment it would cause to indigenous nations (Farr, 2022). After the Bisons&#39; near extinction, there has been a slow increase in herds, allowing them to regain a population near 500,000, only 20,000 of which are in conservation herds. Of the conservation herds, only one known herd is considered to have no cattle lineage, whereas commercial herds often contain a small amount of cattle genetics. The issue with plains bison containing a small portion of cattle DNA is that it can make the cattle smaller, more susceptible to illness, and detrimental to their reproductive abilities (Hedrick, 2009). The commercial bison industry continued experimenting with genetically altering bison to domesticate them like cattle, all the while causing detriment to the species&#39; ability to sustain itself. <br/><br/>Therefore, For the bison to survive through the generations, we must list them as an &quot;endangered&quot; species under Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). According to section 4(a)(1) of the ESA, Bison bison bison must be listed if one of the five factors listed contributes to the degradation of the species that may lead to its extinction. According to much of the scientific data available, there is a need to list plains bison as they have been overutilized for commercial and scientific purposes (Factor B), are now susceptible to life-threatening diseases (Factor C), and are now almost permanently genetically altered due to man&#39;s need to domesticate and commercialize (Factor E). <br/><br/>Bison bison bison must be listed according to the regulatory code under the Endangered Species Act due to the commercialization of the species, genetic altercations made by man, and the potential detriment of disease. Without the protections provided under the ESA, scientific evidence suggests that there may be a significant loss of individuals and potentially herds. There is a rare opportunity to preserve a critical species in its native form for the betterment of iconic American landscapes. <br/><br/>Farr, J. J., &amp; White, C. A. (2022). https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110937<br/>Hedrick, P. W. (2009). https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esp024