Yellowstone may limit where buffaloes can roam

January 6, 1998
Web posted at: 3:55 p.m. EST (2055 GMT)

From Correspondent Jack Hamann

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (CNN) -- Responding to two lawsuits, officials at Yellowstone National Park may close the park's snowmobile trails during the winter to keep the park's food-seeking bison from wandering onto private land, where they can be shot by disgruntled ranchers.

In the first lawsuit, a federal judge recently ruled that Montana must limit the number of bison slaughtered to 100 per year, and must seek federal approval to kill more. As the result of another lawsuit, the park may be forced to restrict snowmobiling within its boundaries.

The fate of the bison has turned up the volume on a passionate debate reflecting different interests.

The animals depend on the park for refuge, and the community surrounding the park depends on it for a tourist industry that supports as many as three-quarters of the businesses outside the gates. The ranchers worry that any sick bison that escape from the park could infect their cattle herds.

Bison take easiest path in search of food

For bison, Yellowstone winters can be brutal. Snow occasionally thaws, then refreezes, making it difficult for the animals to find enough grass to eat within the park.

As a result, they often wander onto private land by following snow-covered trails that are smoothed each night for safer snowmobile travel the next day.

Last winter, in response to the possible spread of the disease brucellosis, riflemen working for the state of Montana killed 1,100 bison that had drifted out of the park -- about a third of Yellowstone's herd. Brucellosis can cause cows to abort their calves.

Starvation killed so many more that only half of the herd was left by winter's end.

Mike Clark, who heads an alliance of environmental groups called the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, calls the places where the bison exit the park "killing fields." And he says, "to have them slaughtered like this, for no good reason, is an abomination."

Ranchers worry about brucellosis threat

But some ranchers say the slaughter is necessary.

Pete Storey, a third-generation cattle rancher, says bison knock down fences, stumble into traffic and, most ominously, can infect their herds with brucellosis.

"If any of our cows were determined to have brucellosis, we'd be out of the cow business," Storey said.

In years past, even a few contaminated cattle in one herd could make beef and milk throughout the entire state tough to export.

Park superintendent Mike Finley says by not grooming trails for snowmobiles, bison might stay in -- but at the expense of snowmobile enthusiasts.

"But what's the option?" Finley asked. "Do we just let the last remaining Yellowstone bison walk out the park and be shot? The answer to that is clearly 'no!'"

Businesses depend on open Yellowstone

Glenn Loomis, mayor of West Yellowstone, is determined to find another solution. He also owns one of the biggest snowmobile rental businesses in the region.

"If Yellowstone closed in the winter, three-fourths of the businesses in this town would go bankrupt, maybe more," he said.

If necessary, Loomis said, he'll build a gate to the park so that even with groomed trails, bison can't escape.

"If it gets down to where it's that critical, I'll go open the gate for the snowmobiles and let them through. I promise I wouldn't let a single buffalo down the road," he said.

Related sites:

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• American Veterinary Medical Association article
• Greater Yellowstone Coalition

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