The National Park Service (NPS) released its final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for a bison management plan at Yellowstone National Park.
The plan outlines a range of actions for managing bison within the park, incorporating new scientific data and addressing changed circumstances. The plan intends to enhance the transfer of bison to Tribes and maintain close collaboration with Tribal Nations and agency partners in management efforts.
The FEIS underscores the substantial progress achieved over the past two decades by the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) partners. It reaffirms Yellowstone National Park’s commitment to the IBMP’s key objectives: maintaining a wild, free-ranging bison population; reducing the risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle; managing bison that migrate from Yellowstone into Montana; and preserving Montana’s brucellosis-free status for domestic livestock.
According to the FEIS, Yellowstone bison numbers have ranged from about 4,400 head to 5,900 head after calving, since 2013. NPS research suggests the park can support approximately 10,000 bison in summer and 6,500 bison in winter, though this varies due to weather and grass production.
The FEIS analyzes three management alternatives for the bison, with post-calving populations expected to range between 3,500-7,000 head, depending on the chosen alternative. Each option would support Tribes’ harvest activities outside the park while maintaining a genetically diverse bison population. Bison migrating outside the park would be managed by state agencies, the U.S. Forest Service, private landowners and Tribes, who would coordinate harvests based on treaty rights.
The preferred alternative prioritizes the Bison Conservation Transfer Program (BCTP) to restore bison to Tribal lands and support Tribal harvests outside the park. Bison numbers are expected to range from 3,500-6,000 head post-calving, potentially expanding into new park areas. This could lead to occasional larger migrations into Montana’s designated management areas, including parts of the Custer Gallatin National Forest, enhancing conservation and tribal harvest opportunities, the agency said.
The NPS would capture bison when space is available in the BCTP and release brucellosis-negative animals not eligible for the program. The NPS plans to shift away from processing transfers as a primary management tool, establishing a winter population threshold of 5,200 bison and relying first on harvests to manage numbers.
The other two options under consideration include a no-action alternative of maintaining the status quo and an alternative to treating bison similar to elk when exposed to brucellosis. Under the latter option, bison capture would immediately cease, with natural selection, public hunting and tribal harvests in Montana being the primary methods for controlling bison numbers. The FEIS said the number of bison is expected to be higher than the no-action alternative, ranging from about 3,500-7,000 head post-calving. An increasing bison population may lead to the use of new park areas and more bison migrating out of the park.
Michelle Uberuaga, senior Yellowstone program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, called the plan an important step in ensuring bison thrive across the Greater Yellowstone area and Tribal lands while expanding Tribal cultural herds and aligning bison management with other wildlife in the ecosystem.
“The plan is grounded in the best available science and commits to flexible management strategies that will allow bison to thrive within Yellowstone,” Uberuaga said. “The Park Service and partners must manage America’s national mammal like other valued wildlife, which includes protecting its seasonal migration in and out of the park.
“Decades of experience have shown that managers can treat bison like other wildlife while also safeguarding regional livestock. The final plan reflects these advancements and supports continuing such programs.”
Raylee Honeycutt, executive vice president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, told WLJ they are reviewing the FEIS and advocating for a plan to manage the bison population.
“Until the record of decision is issued and available for review, we continue to emphasize the importance of a management plan that includes management tools like population control, spring hazing, vaccination, culling, tribal hunting, and shipment of excess animals to processing facilities,” Honeycutt said.
An FEIS notice of availability was published in the Federal Register on June 7, initiating a 30-day waiting period. After this period, the NPS will sign and publish a record of decision detailing the selected action. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
