New West News Brief
Yellowstone Bison Slaughter Halted, Meat Distributed to Food Banks
By Lucia Stewart, 4-29-08
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With more than half of the Yellowstone National Park bison population removed this season due to slaughter, winter weather and hunting, the Interagency Bison Management has halted all additional deaths and are holding 255 cows and calves until the grass greens.
Meanwhile, an estimated 600,000 pounds of meat from the slaughtered 1,700 bison is currently being distributed to Montana tribes and food banks, reports the Billings Gazette. An additional 700 are estimated dead due to weather.
The Montana Food Bank network recently purchased 15,000 pounds of bison meat that will be distributed to 189 banks throughout the state, perfect timing with the February recall of 143 million pounds of Californian beef.
Tribes have first claim to this high-protein, low-fat meat along with their hides and heads. Over 350 requests came from Montana, Michigan, North Dakota and Wyoming tribes.
With the 2,300 bison left, the Yellowstone National Park is not concerned about the animals ability to rebound, but the Buffalo Field Campaign says this loss is a threat to the genetic diversity.
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Comments
I think we're going to find when the numbers are finally revealed that bison numbers are well below the 2300 claimed by the Park Service.
As I understand it, Baucus and Tester earmarked the entire department of livestock's bison slaughter operating budget this year and the governor of Montana let it all happen. The bison blood is on their hands and it has never been so bloody since the 1800's.
Bison that use to graze the Upper Gallatin have already been completely extirpated by career government lackies under the justification of this failed bison eradication plan. So the agencies have proven they can eliminate a magnificient big game species from a wild landscape with little or no conseqeunces. What are the consequences if the agencies push the last few bison in the Greater Yellowstone Area to extinction?
I suggest the governor and Congress take the advice of the Government Accounting Office and replace this endless and expensive bison eradication plan with a habitat and public hunting based solution that recognizes wild bison as a year round valued native asset in southwest Montana.
The 289 (not 255) bison now at Stephens Creek are crowded beyond the 250 capacity, and the stillborn deliveries that are occurring in the pen don't count in the death toll, I suppose. Nor the three bulls that were shipped off to slaughter the day this story ran. Lucia, get your facts straight or hire someone who can.
Are there any meetings happening in Bozeman between May 23-28th on this issue?