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Buffalo Field Campaign Legislative
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| Bison
Habitat Lawsuit |
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| Download
the Complaint (PDF, 380kb) |
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| Read
the Press Release - 11/09/09 |
|
 A
coalition of conservation groups, Native Americans, and Montanans
are suing the National Park Service for their role in slaughtering
more than 3,300 wild American bison that inhabitat Yellowstone
National Park. This iconic species is the last population of
wild American bison to continuously occupy its native range
and retain its identity as a wildlife species.
The plaintiffs say the National Park Service is violating its
mission to leave unimpaired for future generations to enjoy
the wild bison inhabiting their native range including Yellowstone
National Park.
The U.S. Forest Service is also named in the suit for failing
to manage habitat for viable populations of wild bison and sage
grouse on the Gallatin National Forest.
The plaintiffs also say the Forest Service is violating its
Congressional mandate providing for a diversity of native plant
and wildlife species by managing habitat for cattle on National
Forest lands to the detriment of native, migratory bison and
sage grouse populations.
 The
coalition has filed a prayer for relief asking the court to:
Direct the Forest Service and National Park Service to analyze
new information and changed circumstances and how the agencies
actions are harming and impairing distinct bison populations
that exist in the Yellowstone ecosystem, and the ability of
bison to naturally evolve and survive as an indigenous wildlife
species.
Enjoin the Forest Service and National Park Service from participating
in or permitting actions that would lead to the slaughter of
wild bison on National Forest and Nation Park Service lands
including trapping for transport to slaughter houses and quarantine.
The suit does not affect the state of Montana's bison hunt scheduled
to begin November 15, 2009 nor does it affect Native American
tribes that retain treaty rights to hunt bison on National Forest
lands. |
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| Supporting
Documentation |
|
 GAO
Report:
Yellowstone Bison ~ Interagency Plan and Agencies' Management
Need Improvement to Better Address Bison-Cattle Brucellosis
Controversy
(PDF, 3.1MB, March 2008)
Kilpatrick 2009, Wildlife-livestock
conflict:
the risk of pathogen transmission from bison to cattle outside
Yellowstone National Park (Kilpatrick,
PDF, 3.8MB, 2009)
White Paper by Western Watersheds
Project &
the Buffalo Field Campaign:
Bison Without Borders ~ Stopping the Senseless Slaughter of
America's
Last Wild Bison (160kb,
word)
Wildlife
Viewing Economics (720kb,
PDF) |
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