Bison Guards on Highway 89

This is an update to my previous post. It appears Montana is actually going through with making habitat for bison North of Yellowstone Park.

Schweitzer has ordered bison guards to be placed south of Yankee Jim Canyon, which is North of Yellowstone National Park.

Buffalo Allowed To Roam Outside Yellowstone?

BFC File Photo 2010-2011

Yellowstone's new superintendent, Daniel Wenk along with Governor B.S. and the DOL have been having "behind the scenes discussions" about allowing buffalo outside Yellowstone.  The plan is to create a north side buffer stretching roughly 13 miles north of the park, encompassing the Gardiner Basin and ending at Yankee Jim Canyon along the Yellowstone River. Fences and other barriers would be erected to prevent the buffalo from going into Paradise Valley where cattle ranches are located. Schweitzer also proposes allowing bison 'hunting' in this Northern "buffer zone."

Regarding the current slaughter operation he heads, Governor B.S. comments,

"Why treat the bison in this way? When they cross an imaginary line — boom boom boom — shoot them like a couch," Schweitzer said. "We're attempting to enlarge the area where bison are allowed to leave the park, within the constraints of keeping them away from livestock."

In 2008 Governor B.S. bragged,

"No governor in Montana history has sent more bison to slaughter than this governor."

 

Gov. B.S. Says He "Cares" About Bison

In an interview with Politics Daily, MT Gov. Brian Schweitzer was quoted with such humble remarks it makes a person sick and frustrated.

"This is a buffalo, OK. This is not a human," he said. "But I care about them, too. I feel a special responsibility."

"I picture them in five years being reintroduced in some of the wildest places in Montana and living like the wildlife they are, free of disease and fending for themselves as they have for 12,000 years."

 

"Our plan is not to move brucellosis out of the Yellowstone basin ... Is it trying to teach folks in Washington, D.C., that a good-neighbor policy means you listen to your neighbor? Dang tootin'. Do I think they will hear us? No telling,"

MT Gov. Exec. Order to Not Import Bison

The first thing I want to point out is there is NO mention of the word "slaughter." The only word is "importation." What does this mean in regards to slaughter? Only that the bison cannot be transported to the slaughter houses inside Montana. This "executive order" does not prevent hazing of bison or shooting bison on sight. So, the bison inside the Steven's Creek trap, can all be shot.

  
Governor Schweitzer Stops Importation of Bison into Montana for 90 Days

 2/15/2011
Sarah Elliott 406-444-9725
Jayson O’Neill 406-444-9844
selliott@mt.gov
(HELENA) - Governor Brian Schweitzer today issued an Executive Order (below and attached) stopping the importation of bison into the State of Montana for a period of 90 days.

Executive Order language below:

EXECUTIVE ORDER PROHIBITING THE IMPORTATION OF BISON INTO THE STATE OF MONTANA FOR A PERIOD OF 90 DAYS

          WHEREAS, brucellosis is an infectious disease and Yellowstone National Park bison exhibit a brucellosis sero-prevalence rate of approximately 50%; and
WHEREAS, the Montana Department of Livestock has adopted a surveillance program that has been highly successful in detecting brucellosis-affected herds and preventing the exportation of diseased livestock from Montana; and

          WHEREAS, the United States Department of the Interior has recently indicated its intent to transport Yellowstone bison into Montana for slaughter at Montana facilities, which presents an unacceptable risk for the transmission of brucellosis to Montana livestock; and

          WHEREAS, Montana legislators and livestock interests have expressed grave concerns that because of the high incidence of brucellosis in Yellowstone National Park bison, the importation of any bison from Yellowstone National Park into Montana presents an unacceptable risk for the transmission of brucellosis to Montana cattle; and

          WHEREAS, several pieces of legislation have been introduced in the 2011 Montana Legislature that propose sweeping changes to bison management in Montana; and

          WHEREAS, for over ten years management under the current court-ordered Interagency Bison Management Plan has resulted in no reduction in the prevalence of brucellosis in bison, nor has it resulted in a sustainable population control model for Yellowstone bison; and

          WHEREAS, under Mont. Code Ann. § 81-2-112, the governor may issue a proclamation prohibiting the importation of diseased animals to Montana.

          NOW, THEREFORE, I, BRIAN SCHWEITZER, Governor of the State of Montana, by virtue of the authority vested in me pursuant to Mont. Code Ann. § 81-2-112, do hereby declare a prohibition on the importation of Yellowstone bison into areas of Montana that are outside of the designated surveillance area as designated by the Department of Livestock through administrative rule for a period of 90 days.

Gov. B.S. Quote

At a stockgrowers meeting yesterday, Schweitzer boasted to the group,

"No governor in Montana history has sent more bison to slaughter than this governor."

This is what the buffalo and those who care about them are up against. Last year over 1,600 buffalo were sent to slaughter. The largest number since the arrogant white Europeans came to this country and slaughtered all but 23. It's unfortunate that this level of thinking still exists now in the 21st century.

However in 2004 Brian Schweitzer says,

''The only potential infection hazard from Yellowstone bison leaving the park is if they come into contact with reproductive cattle. Relatively few reproductive cows graze on land adjacent to Yellowstone, and grazing steers or horses are not at risk. We are spending too many resources on an issue with simpler and more positive solutions. I will be the first cattleman governor of Montana in decades. I will work with park officials, USDA, APHIS and landowners to find a commonsense solution that doesn't involve the wholesale slaughter of one of Montana's most recognizable symbols, or diminish the value of our cattle."

It's too bad B.S. didn't keep his word.

Canada shares the mindset of ignorance as well.

"Bison, of course, would not end up confining themselves to a national park and that would create fairly significant management issues for us."----Dave Ealey, spokesman for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, about the province's opposition to Canada's plan to reintroduce bison into Banff National Park.--Toronto National Post

The Native Americans however, have a much deeper understanding of how to live with the environment.

"If you talk to the animals they will talk to you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them. And what you do not know you will fear. What one fears one destroys."--Chief Geswanouth Slahoot

SB 337 Update

SB 337 doesn't allow the relocation of buffalo within the state of Montana.

Currently, there are 81 buffalo in quarentine due to breeding over the past few years. FWP, APHIS, and MTDOL are wanting to relocate 41 of the quarantined buffalo in April to the Eastern Shoshone Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. The other 40 might be relocated in 2010 to Fort Peck and Fort Belknap reservations of northeast Montana. The buffalo relocating to Fort Peck would be in "roaming distance" of the home of Sen. John Brenden, R-Scobey who supports SB 337.

Schweitzer's natural resources adviser, Mike Volesky, says the purpose of the relocation program was to create disease-free herds of buffalo. (yeh, out of 81? The current number of buffalo in Yellowstone-fewer than 3,000- already shows signs of inbreeding with twisted horns.)

Groups who do want to take the buffalo are being told by FWP they can have them on the condition that they go into quarentine (again) "for a few more years."

Montana doesn't want disease-free buffalo. They don't want buffalo period.

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/02/28/state/101st_090228_bison.txt

Veterinarians Oppose Yellowstone Hot-Zone

Last year there was an idea to make Yellowstone Park as an animal disease "hot-zone". Yellowstone would be listed as the last remaining region in the country where the disease brucellosis still remains. This would ease up sanctions on cattle ranchers if their herd becomes infected with the disease. Now, however state veterinarians are opposed to creating a "hot-zone". They want to see management of the disease in wildlife first.

Regarding how the disease is currently being 'managed' in bison and will be 'managed' in elk, Schweitzer commented, "We’ve been hazing bison, capturing bison, slaughtering bison — I’d say we’ve done a fair bit. Elk’s a little tougher. . . . But to simply say wildlife need to stay in the park is not a practical solution.”
Read more Agweek

So what would be Schweitzer's solution? Probably elimination of all wildlife within the state.

Better solution-- eliminate all idiots in the government beginning with Schweitzer.