| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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Women
Protest Bison Slaughter in Yellowstone National Park
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Letter,
Statements, & Photos of the Protesters |
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March
26, 2008
To Superintendent Suzanne Lewis,
The nine hundred plus bison slaughtered this year are clear
evidence that the National Park Service has violated its mission
statement within Yellowstone National Park. Hazing, capturing,
and slaughtering wild bison within Park borders is not wildlife
preservation.
Our protest over Park Service actions towards bison will not
end until:
The NPS withdraws from the Interagency Bison Management Plan.
The supposed adaptive management plan has never benefited bison.
This plan was designed by, and for, cattle interests in the
state of Montana; the Department of Livestock should not be
in charge of the last genetically pure wild bison.
The NPS institutes a legitimate and scientifically sound carrying
capacity study for bison inside YNP.
The NPS recognizes the vital role that these bison fulfill within
the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The NPS immediately ceases the quarantining of Yellowstone bison
as this experimentation is based on faulty science and essentially
domesticates these wild animals.
The NPS stops hazing wild bison in the Park and stops aiding
in bison hazing operations outside of the Park's borders.
The NPS stops capturing wild bison inside of the Park and shuts
down all operations at the Stephen's Creek Capture Trap. This
includes releasing those bison being held inside.
The NPS stops slaughtering wild bison; U.S. tax-payer dollars
are allocated for wildlife preservation, not wildlife destruction.
The NPS stops using serologic brucellosis testing methods as
the presence of antibodies is not indicative of the active and
transmittable disease.
The NPS uses the most current brucellosis science. There has
never been ONE documented case of brucellosis transmission from
wild bison to cattle.
Ms. Lewis, we request that you take our demands seriously, for
the sake of the last genetically pure bison, and for the enjoyment,
education, and inspiration of this and future generations.
Sincerely,
Catherine Simonidis
Miriam Wasser
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Cat Simonidis Statement:
I am here today to bring attention to the mass slaughter of
the last wild, free-roaming buffalo. The Park Service (headed
by Superintendent Suzanne Lewis) says in their mission statement
that they preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources
and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education,
and inspiration of this and future generations, yet they partake
in the Interagency Bison Management Plan which hazes, captures,
and slaughters bison for the benefit of the cattle industry.
There has never been ONE documented case of a brucellosis transmission
from buffalo to cattle in the wild (which is the supposed reason
for all of this madness). It is time to stop the unjustified
murder of buffalo. To the Park Service: PLEASE stop catering
to the cattle industry, remove yourselves from the Interagency
Bison Management Plan, and start seriously conserving wildlife.
It is time to let these sacred buffalo roam freely!!!
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Miriam Wasser Statement:
I am doing this today because the National Park Service, particularly
Superintendent Suzanne Lewis, has been unresponsive to phone
calls, letters, and emails requesting better treatment of bison
inside Yellowstone National Park. My actions are a protest of
the National Park Service's role in the mismanagement of wild
Yellowstone bison. It is explicitly written in the National
Park Service mission statement that it preserves unimpaired
the natural and cultural resources and values of the National
Park system, rendering the 1200 bison slaughtered so far this
year inside of the park an egregious violation. It is the job
of the Park Service to prioritize the protection of wildlife
over that of livestock, but its participation and role in the
Interagency Bison Management Plan demonstrates its willingness
to use millions of tax dollars for cattle interests. Faulty
brucellosis science and politically motivated carrying capacity
figures used in the plan are no excuse for the hazing, capturing,
and slaughtering of the last genetically pure, free-roaming
bison population in the United States. This issue is black and
white: the Park Service is meant to protect and preserve wildlife
in National Parks, not indiscriminately slaughter hundreds of
buffalo, or compromise their wildness by quarantining and holding
them in pens. I am doing this to illuminate the wrongful actions
of the Park, actions which must STOP!! |
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Women
Protest Bison Slaughter in Yellowstone National Park
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