EBS STAFF
On July 24, the National Park Service announced its decision about the future of bison management at Yellowstone National Park, completing a two-year process. The decision has been a hot topic for agencies and the public, having received 27,000 public comments in 2023.
According to a Yellowstone press release on July 24, the decision is informed by the Environmental Impact Statement and National Environmental Policy Act, and states that the NPS will manage bison based on scientific information that has changed since the EIS in 2000.
Changed circumstances and research results have revealed updated information about brucellosis transmission, cattle around the park and Tribal hunting. NPS also addressed the issue under court oversight after 2018 and 2019 litigation challenged the 2000 Interagency Bison Management Plan.
The new bison management statement sets standards for how the NPS will interact with its partners in management efforts outside of Yellowstone due to several agencies holding authority over bison when they leave park boundaries.
Bison plan
Bison in the park will be managed in a population range of 3,500 and 6,000 after calving with plans to maintain a 5,000 bison population average. The bison conservation transfer program to restore bison to Tribal land, the Tribal food transfer program and the Tribal and state harvests outside of the park will be used by NPS and partners to maintain bison population numbers.
When the bison population reaches 5,200, the NPS will begin to consider Tribal and state harvests. Also, if the bison population declines to 3,000 in late winter, NPS will protect the park bison and encourage less hunting outside of the park. People interested in learning more can read about the plan on Yellowstone’s website.
“The decision continues the original purpose of the IBMP to maintain a wild, free ranging bison population and reduce the risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle,” the release stated. “Through this decision, the NPS will prioritize working with American Indian Tribes to transfer brucellosis-free bison to Tribal lands and use harvests to control bison numbers to the extent feasible.”
There have been zero brucellosis transmissions in the last two decades due to spatial separation between bison and cattle outside of the park, according to the release.
“The population range protects the genetic integrity of the species and the important role bison play in the ecological balance of the park. It also preserves an ecologically sustainable population of wild, migratory bison,” the release stated.
“We have come a very long way since the last bison management plan was signed in 2000,” said Cam Sholly, superintendent of the National Park Service. “This new plan solidifies much of the progress made over the past two decades and provides a foundation for future decision making. We appreciate the significant engagement on this plan by our affiliated Tribes, partners, and the general public.”
