West Yellowstone, MT- The state of Montana kicked off the opening day of the Governor's Conference on Tourism in West Yellowstone with a bison capture and slaughter operation.

A protester delayed the operation by locking himself to a vehicle across the only road accessing the Horse Butte bison trap. He was attempting to halt the capture and slaughter of more than one hundred and fifty bison that migrated from Yellowstone earlier this week. Montana Governor Judy Martz will speak at the tourism conference on Friday.

"The Martz administration placates the tourism lobby with one hand while the other shoots buffalo to satisfy the whims of the powerful livestock industry," said BFC spokesperson Dan Brister. "Governor Martz' buffalo slaughter kills wildlife and tourism both. People spend thousands of dollars to travel to Montana to see buffalo and other wildlife. Today's actions are a slap in the face to tourism and show how powerful the livestock industry really is."

85 bison have been captured this year and 45 sent to slaughter. Hundreds of bison, mostly pregnant cows and calves, are now leaving the park for fresh grass at Horse Butte. Their lives are in jeopardy due to the Montana livestock industry's intolerance for any buffalo in the state. In statements to the press the Montana Department of Livestock claims the slaughter is based on the fear that bison will transmit brucellosis to cattle, however that fear is not supported by science and is clearly an excuse for pursuing a larger agenda. There has never been a documented transmission of brucellosis between wild bison and livestock.

There are no cattle near the Horse Butte area. Peter Leusch, the activist who locked down, said "The state and federal agencies are fleecing the American taxpayer for millions of dollars a year to supposedly protect a handful of cattle from a threat that doesn't exist. The bureaucrats are padding their budgets at the expense of the people, the wildlife, and the local economy." Leusch said of today's events, "The current bison management plan is intolerable. It's time to put an end to this incredible waste of our wildlife and cultural heritage."

Leusch locked himself in a "bat mobile," a station wagon with holes cut through the floor enabling him to lock his arms around the drive shaft from inside. The vehicle was parked across Forest Road 610. Leusch and the car were towed to the side of the road before 10 am, when he unlocked and was arrested by Forest Service law enforcement officers.

He was charged with three federal misdemeanors: resisting arrest, creating a road hazard, and maintaining an illegal structure. After making the arrest, agents with the DOL, the Park Service, the Forest Service, and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks proceeded to haze and capture 29 bison toward the Horse Butte trap. Twelve bison escaped capture by running into a restricted bald-eagle closure where no human activity is allowed. At least 17 bison were captured as of 1 pm. Bison hazing and capture operations negatively impact all species in the ecosystem.

"The persistent hazing operations have caused severe winter kill in many different species along the Madison including elk, trumpeter swans, and great horned owls," said BFC volunteer Eric Pedersen. BFC patrols documented bald eagles, ospreys, and sandhill cranes being flushed during today's operation.

The Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, everyday, to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild buffalo. Volunteers defend buffalo on their traditional winter habitat and advocate for their protection.

Video and Still Footage Available upon Request.

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