Yellowstone Bison Management Plan

Plans Not Based On Best Available Science
Manage Wild Buffalo Like Wild Elk
Public Comment Deadline Extended to Tuesday, October 10

Yellowstone National Park recently released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Bison Management that fails wild bison. The premise of Yellowstone’s plan is not founded on the best available science, lacks an appropriate federal nexus, and fails the imperiled Central Herd of bison. The “broad range of actions” involves intense human selection to artificially suppress wild populations and are not founded on the best available science.

Thank you for asking for an extension as Yellowstone is now taking public comment on the plan through Tuesday, October 10. Our goal is to get the public to comment and ask that BFC's alternative, Manage Wild Bison Like Wild Elk, (Download the alternative, PDF and learn more on the web page) be added to Yellowston'e bison management plan. The final Enivronmental Impact Statement is expected to be released in summer 2024.

Buffalo Field Campaign and Western Watersheds Project collaborated in developing joint comments on the Park’s plan which can be downloaded here: BFC and WWP Comments Yellowstone National Park Bison Management Plan Draft EIS, September 20, 2023 (PDF 614kb)

Send Your Public Comment

Talking Points

The three alternatives are not based on sound science.
Add an alternative to manage wild bison like wild elk.
All three alternatives exclude bison from millions of acres of National public trust lands adjoining Yellowstone.
Use a holistic ecosystem approach for wild bison.
Get rid of zones excluding bison from National public trust lands.
Protect each distinct herd. The Central herd is in peril.
Provide for a minimum of 2,000–3,000 bison in each herd to protect genetic diversity.
Protect connectivity to habitat and bison’s freedom to roam National public trust lands.
Include the National Forest as a planning partner which expands the potential for tribal involvement in the process.

Background

In January 2022, Yellowstone National Park published a notice asking for public scoping comments on a new bison management plan that reflects all of the changed circumstances and the best available science since the outdated plan went into effect in 2000. The Park’s notice also terminated an attempt, begun in 2015, to write a new plan with the State of Montana. BFC submitted detailed comments and a proposal asking that the public be given a chance to comment on an alternative to manage wild bison like wild elk. Download BFC's scoping comments from February 28, 2022 (PDF).

Read Yellowstone National Park's newsletter, January 2022 (PDF)
Read Yellowstone National Park's notice in the Federal Register, January 2022 (PDF)

Go to Yellowstone National Park's Bison Management Plan web page.