A Project of Sage Steppe Wild
Bison Slaughter A Smoke Screen for Livestock Industry. “The on-going slaughter of Yellowstone National Park bison is justified on the basis of disease control—namely trying to prevent transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle. While the potential economic impact brucellosis is real, the likelihood is extremely rare.” Unfiltered By George Wuerthner, Unfiltered in New West.
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Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Comments
This is the most thorough explanation I have read about this travesty being wrought on our native bison. Why does the public continue to ignore this – are we going to wait until there are 100 bison left before we demand something change? It is maddening and makes me crazy! I do not understand why the DOL/YNP are allowed to control this situation with such inflexibility.
Great article.
Now only if our politicians outside of the Yellowstone area read this they would understand what a waste of money this burdens the taxpayer with. Oops, wait, they are spending all of their time trying to get rid of health care for humans…
What an informative article, and quite depressing. The DOI should take the bison off their logo, they are undeserving of such an iconic animal. The contempt that is shown this animal makes me sick
Ken or Ralph
My local paper today has a story with the headline:
Court urged to stay out of bison slaughter- Interior dept is asking a federal judge not to intervene in the impending slaughter of potentially hundreds of bison- With a 3 paragraph article which states that “These massive animals could cause property damage, compete with livestock for grazing, and destroy crops. The DOI should change their logo- the bison for their almighty shitcow
I’m really disgusted at how these iconic animals are being treated. What needs to be done is all the environmental organizations in the northern rockies need to get together and file lawsuits against the dol for their crimes against precious native wildlife. Hit them with they hurt most, their pockets. What also needs to be done is the national park service should be in charge if the bison leave yellowstone national park. Don’t give the dol any authority in managing wildlife if they leave the park.
William,
That has been the standard “Pat” argument since the big slaughter in the ’90’s(96-97) I was working with another Bison Group at that time and they didn’t even let us get to the point of filing a suit…the road blocks were big and thick..
Unless the laws change concerning USDA and the State of Montana, you can’t impose NPS rule over Bison that are out of the park, remember the National Forest do not come under the jurisdiction of the DOI it comes under the USDA…and the DOL has jurisdiction when it comes to Private Montana Holdings with Livestock…Which is why Bison need to desperately be classified as wildlife, then the US Fish and Wildlife Service would have jurisdiction as well as Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks..
You are right Save Bears. The livestock Industry made sure that WS was under USDA jurisdiction as well claiming the USFWS didn’t adequately address their concerns, back in the 70s. I have always thought it didn’t fit having a dept of Livestock manage a wild bison population, but it makes perfect sense if you’re a rancher!
We need to find out who in the dept of Agriculture is making these decisions to hold these bison hostage in these holding facilities. I was told by the NPS that there are tribes that would take these bison but are blocked by APHIS. They won’t even allow transport of these animals to safety. This is so frustrating