| On
October 11, 2004 the Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
(FWP) along with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service published an Environmental Assessment for the capture
and quarantine of buffalo calves from the Yellowstone buffalo
herd. The EA includes three alternatives: no action; slaughter
of all captive buffalo after one year; and slaughter of half
of the captive buffalo after one year with the survivors being
held for phase two of the quarantine experiment.
According to the EA, available at http://fwp.state.mt.us/publicnotices/show.aspx?id=696
the purpose of the program is to determine how accurate the
tests used to determine brucellosis exposure are for buffalo
calves.
The agency plans to take 100 test negative buffalo calves
from the Duck Creek and Stephen's Creek buffalo traps in each
of the two years of the experiment (buffalo that might otherwise
be released). The calves will be held at a small, 400 acre
fenced facility on the east side of the Yellowstone River
north of Gardiner. In captivity, they will be subjected to
numerous brucellosis tests that require excessive handling
of the buffalo and will be fed hay to supplement the grass
in the facility. Under second alternative, all 200 buffalo
calves will be slaughtered after one year and their carcasses
will be tested for brucellosis bacteria. Under the third alternative
(preferred by FWP), half of the calves (100) will be slaughtered
after one year with their carcasses tested for brucellosis
bacteria. The remaining survivors will be held over for phase
two of the experiment and an additional year of testing and
captivity.
Urge FWP to choose the "no action" alternative.
Let them know that the buffalo are not here for their "franken-science"
experiments. Tell FWP that the domestication of America's
only pure, wild buffalo is not acceptable. Instead of experimenting
on our wild buffalo, FWP should focus on gaining habitat for
the buffalo outside of Yellowstone National Park. Habitat
expansion is a proven technique in reducing exposure to brucellosis.
Quarantine, on the other hand, is an extremely expensive,
unproven technique (a minimum of 2 million dollars) that will
only lead to the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of buffalo
calves. If any buffalo survive the first phase of the quarantine
experiment, after three more years, these domesticated animals
will be released in some other place as "wild buffalo".
More information on this latest effort to domesticate and
destroy Yellowstone's wild buffalo herd will be available
shortly on our website.
The comment deadline is has been extended
to November 24, 2004.
Send your comments by email to kaune@state.mt.us,
or contact the responsible agents Keith Aune, Montana Fish,
Wildlife and Parks, P.O. Box 200701, 1420 E. 6th Ave., Helena,
MT 59620-Phone 406-444-3248 and Dr. Jack Rhyan, National Wildlife
Research Center,USDA/APHIS/Vet. Services, 4101 Laporte Ave,
Ft. Collins, CO 80524-Phone 970-266-6140.
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1.
Ask FWP to extend the comment period for 30 more days. Many
people that have expressed interest in the fate of Yellowstone’s
buffalo were not notified in a timely manner about the Draft
Environmental Assessment (BFC did not receive a copy of the
EA until last week). Ask FWP to allow more time for the public
to comment on this highly significant proposal to begin quarantining
Yellowstone buffalo.
2. Let FWP know that Yellowstone’s wild
buffalo are not available for science experiments. Because the
ultimate purpose of the proposal is to test a scientific hypotheses
about brucellosis testing methods and transmission, FWP or another
agency could use domesticated buffalo from a known brucellosis
infected herd for their experiment.
3. If FWP is truly interested in the conservation
and restoration of buffalo in North America, then they should
focus their money and energy on tried and true methods for reducing/eliminating
brucellosis exposure in wild animals. For example, elk on feedgrounds
in Wyoming test 17 to 60 percent positive for brucellosis exposure
while elk utilizing natural habitat outside of feedgrounds test
between 0 and 2 percent positive for brucellosis exposure. Anecdotal
evidence from relocated buffalo herds and common sense indicate
that the exposure rate for brucellosis will naturally decrease
over time if buffalo are provided more habitat in which to spread
out. Brucellosis is a disease that is spread primarily because
animals are congregated in confined areas. More habitat leads
to less brucellosis exposure.
4. FWP states that quarantine may be effective
in reducing the population of Yellowstone’s buffalo herds.
However, genetic evidence indicates that the buffalo population
must actually increase to protect and preserve the genetic variability
of the herd. The 3000 population cap which allows for actions
such as quarantine is an arbitrary number instituted by the
Interagency Plan as a political compromise between Montana’s
livestock industry and the Park Service.
5. The quarantine and slaughter of up to 200
buffalo calves will be yet another black eye for Montana. Governor-elect
Schweitzer has stated that he would like to see Montana’s
black eye go away on the buffalo issue. FWP should allow more
time for alternative, common sense solutions that focus on habitat
and the promotion of wild buffalo in Montana. |
