Appropriations $ to Slaughter Bison

Tester and Baucus succeeded in getting passed in legislation, money to "fight and manage the threat of brucellosis." The money would come from the Agriculture Appropriations Act.

The Agriculture Appropriations Act would give funding to Montana Department of Livestock's Brucellosis Management-- a.k.a. bison slaughter.

Tester and Baucus have requested $500,000 for Montana State University- Bozeman to:

• create refine and simplify brucellosis vaccines for livestock,
  
• to develop an effective vaccine for bison and elk
  
• to test the vaccines in animals. (Animals...this is pretty vague.)

They also request $500,000 to implement the Tribal Quarantine Facility for Yellowstone National Park Bison for the Inter Tribal Bison Cooperative in Fort Belknap.

This money would be used to:

• develop facilities on Tribal lands in Montana to deal with the buffalo coming out of the Yellowstone National Park quarantine facilities

• ensure animals are going to Public land and Tribes and not to fund the privatization of a public trust animal. (Interesting...this is the government that gave 88 Yellowstone bison to Ted Turner.)

The legislation must first pass the full Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives before the funding can be signed into law.