Despite corridor, bison stay put

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

By Henry Sweets

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Officials probably won’t kill any bison for crossing the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park this year. In fact, despite $3.3 in federal money spent to create a northern passage out of Yellowstone for the animals, those buffalo have not roamed.

A December, 2009 deal between five federal and state agencies and the Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) would have allowed 25 bison to pass safely through the church's private land holding which rests on the Bison's preferred migratory route out of Yellowstone. 
 
Last spring, about 1600 bison were slaughtered for trying to leave the park boundaries because they carry Brucellosis, a disease that threatens cattle herds who graze on private and public lands outside of the park.

Last December, the federal government agreed to pay $3.3 million to the CUT to forfeit 30 years of cattle grazing rights so the bison could pass safely through their land. The agreement was “step two” of an interagency bison plan, which was supposed to secure safe passage through the ranch for 25 bison by 2002.

Following the slaughter last year - and national press coverage of the event - a government report sharply criticized the five state and federal agencies that had stalled on the plan. When the deal was finally made in December, some bison fans and conservation groups were holding their breath to see if this deal would be enough to prevent further slaughter.

But this year, the animals didn't budge.

“It’s been a very, very unusual year,” said Kate Gordon, president of the CUT. “So there really hasn’t been a test of the agreement.”

Instead, they stayed in the park, or went to Horse Butte on the western boundary, Nash said.

A year after which wildlife officials slaughtered more than 1,600 bison – most of them while trying to leave the northern boundary – why was it so quiet this year?

Nash said that may be because the bison have learned to avoid the once bloody border, or because there was more winter forage and a smaller population size to compete for it this winter.

Only two small herds crossed the boundary this year, and wildlife officials successfully drove them back into the park through a process called hazing. They herds likely would have returned to the park before making it all the way through the church’s land, Nash said.

Now, with the easement in place, it will likely be another year before officials can know how successful that passage can be, a test that could be a bellweather for larger-scale migrations in the future.

Nash and Gordon both remain hopeful that next year enough bison will be bold enough to leave the boundary and test the efficacy of easement. If it is successful, then more bison could be allowed out of the park in the future.  PJH
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Despite corridor, bison stay put | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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