YELLOWSTONE BISON

Department of Livestock Rejects Split State For Brucellosis Management

By Greg Lemon, 11-08-07

The Montana Department of Livestock voted Tuesday to not separate Montana into two zones to manage brucellosis, the disease carried by bison and elk in Yellowstone National Park.

In the Billings Gazette yesterday, reporter Jennifer McKee called the DOL meeting “rancorous” and pointed out that many in attendance and who testified were against the plan.

The crux of the idea, which is supported by Gov. Brian Schweitzer, is that Montana would be split into two zones, one surrounding Yellowstone National Park and another for the rest of the state.

Montana hadn’t had any cattle test positive for brucellosis until last May, when livestock near Bridger tested positive. Nearly 600 cattle had to be slaughtered because of the positive test. According to McKee, if Montana has another positive test in the next 18 months, it will lose its brucellosis free status, which could cost ranchers time and money testing cattle sold out-of-state.

If the state was split into two zones, then the zone near Yellowstone would lose its brucellosis free status with another positive test and the other zone wouldn’t.

At Schweitzer’s request, the federal Animal Health and Inspection Service, which oversees national brucellosis rules, told Montana officials this summer that the federal government would consider splitting Montana into two zones if another case of the disease appears in that time.

The two main cattle groups in the state split over the issue. The Montana Cattlemen’s Association was for the split. The Montana Stockgrowers Association was against it.

The DOL rejected the plan on a 6-1 vote, despite the fact that five of the board members were Schweitzer appointees.

“They were misled by the lobbyist of Montana Stockgrowers Association,” Schweitzer told McKee. “They were given faulty information by the lobbyist who knew it would get people excited.”

Errol Rice, executive director of the Montana Stockgrowers Association and a registered lobbyist for the group had a different take.

“The industry spoke today, and the board grudgingly put to rest the governor’s marching orders,” Rice said.

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