CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal refused Wednesday to support giving bison from overcrowded herds at Yellowstone National Park to American Indian tribes, saying he feared spreading the cattle disease brucellosis.

The Intertribal Bison Cooperative, a nonprofit group dedicated to returning bison to Indian country, suggested the idea during a meeting with Freudenthal on management of Yellowstone's bison.

"If you don't want them, just give them to us," said Fred DuBray, the South Dakota-based group's executive director.

But Freudenthal said that would be too risky to the nation's cattle industry, which has nearly eradicated brucellosis from its herds. He told the group to wait until better testing methods were developed.

Yellowstone's bison are considered the last reservoir of the disease, which can cause cows to abort their calves. It also causes undulant fever in humans. The infection in the herd is the reason Yellowstone bison have been killed by state and federal authorities when they leave the park and enter cattle country.

"It's a pretty steep canyon to jump off of without knowing if you have a parachute," Freudenthal said. "I don't think as governor of Wyoming I can take that risk. ... I don't think any states would take that step to endanger their brucellosis-free status."

Cooperative members proposed building quarantine facilities, where vaccine and other research could occur, and said the bison would be tested for brucellosis before being sent anywhere.

"We think (brucellosis) has been blown out of proportion," said DuBray, who called the slaughter of bison "an unnecessary and needless approach to the problem."
Currently, livestock officials can kill bison if they stray into Montana from the park out of brucellosis concerns. Even so, Yellowstone's herds have grown to near record levels. The park's bison management plan calls for a population of 3,000 -- but the herds are near 4,000 animals.

DuBray argued that the herds, which contain valuable genetic information, must be protected from other diseases and said moving some of the animals elsewhere could prevent its decimation.

"Usually, when you have a small gene pool, you like to spread it around so it's not wiped out," he said.

The cooperative also lobbied Freudenthal for a position on the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee, saying it deserves a spot at the negotiating table.

A memo creating the committee excluded tribal interests as members, though federal law encourages Indian representation in such groups.
Freudenthal appeared more open to that proposal, but said he needed time to think about it.

"I wouldn't link these two issues because you don't know which one will move on at which pace," he said.
The cooperative, which represents 51 tribes in 16 states, also plans to speak with governors in Idaho and Montana about their proposals.