Sage-grouse, wolves, grizzly bears…and bison? Yes, bison, more commonly called buffalo, were petitioned for Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing in 2018, after previous petitions in 2007, 2014, and 2015. The petitions were initially denied by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) but they are reconsidering the 2018 petition following a judge’s order.
The 2018 ESA petition is specifically for the bison in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) as a distinct population segment (DPS). Bison in the western states are considered the plains bison subspecies, and those in northwest Canada and part of Alaska are considered the wood bison subspecies. Wood bison are already listed under the ESA. Both the subspecies and DPS categories are frequently used for ESA listings even though they are not scientifically rigorous.
Although there are about half a million bison in private and public herds, the ESA petition claims that the YNP bison are some of the only ones free of cattle genes from past interbreeding of bison and cattle. This is not scientifically established because the assessment of cattle genes requires extensive genetic analysis, and some herds have not been tested. For example, there are plains bison in Alaska that are descendants of bison introduced from Montana in the 1920s that may also be free of cattle genes.
Regardless, bison herds that have been tested have been found to have little or no cattle genes (less than 1 percent in several herds) and the importance of this to an animal’s bison characteristics is probably negligible. The claim that bison with a small percentage of cattle genes somehow don’t qualify as bison is not definite science.
Cattle ranchers, sportsmen, Native Americans, the U.S. military, states, provinces, and the U.S. and Canadian governments have all contributed to the restoration of bison herds. Estimates show 20,504 plains bison in public herds in 2008, about 400,000 bison on 6,400 farms and ranches in U.S. and Canada in 2010, and about 11,000 wood bison in Canada in 2013. Simply put, bison are not endangered with extinction.
You can imagine the impact of a bison ESA listing on livestock operations. Bison use the same range habitat as cattle, and as far as I know don’t jump or go under fences like deer, elk, and antelope do. See the cover article, “BLM reviews American Prairie Reserve bison grazing proposal,” in the March 4, 2019 WLJ on other bison conservation efforts and its potential impacts on the cattle industry.
What can you do? Consider the points below and give your ideas to your congressional representatives, your governor, and your legislators. You can also contact FWS (Chief, Ecological Services Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 134 Union Boulevard, Suite 650, Lakewood, CO 80228, https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/endangered.php).
FWS will have an official finding and comment period on the ESA petition in the near future.
The Yellowstone bison are not warranted as an endangered species because:
1. The YNP herd is infected with brucellosis, a threat to livestock and other wildlife.
2. There are many other bison herds that are not infected and can be used for conservation.
3. The claim that “genetically pure” bison that are free of cattle genes makes them better than others is not scientifically definite and excludes the potential use of good bison.
4. The YNP herd was estimated at 4,527 bison in 2018 and is not endangered with extinction, which is the primary criterion for ESA listing. The National Park Service planned to capture hundreds of bison in YNP in 2019 for slaughter because there are too many bison for the available habitat. The park tries to maintain a herd of 4,200-4,500 head. There are half a million bison in North America and the entire species is likewise not endangered with extinction.
5. The DPS category is scientifically subjective and their designation is essentially opinion. — Dr. Matthew Cronin
Websites:
- National Park Service’s Yellowstone Bison page
- March 7, 2019 article from the Flathead Beacon on bison control
- USFWS’ Plains Bison species profile page
- A 2016 press release from Wildlife News on a bison listing decision
- A 2018 article from National Parks Traveler on a listing decision
Further reading:
- Cronin MA, Cockett N. 1993. Kappa-casein polymorphisms among cattle breeds and bison herds. Animal Genetics, 24:135-138.
- Cronin, M.A. and V. Leesburg. 2016. Genetic variation and differentiation in parent-descendant cattle and bison populations. Journal of Animal Science 94:4491-4497.
- Cronin, M.A., M.D. MacNeil, N. Vu, V. Leesburg, H. Blackburn, and J. Derr. 2013. Genetic variation and differentiation of extant bison subspecies and comparison with cattle breeds and subspecies. Journal of Heredity. 104:500-509.
- Gates, C.C., C.H. Freese, P.J.P. Gogan, M. Kotzman, editors. 2010. American Bison: status survey and conservation guidelines 2010. Gland (Switzerland): IUCN.
- Geist, V. 1991. Phantom subspecies: the wood bison is not a valid taxon. Arctic 44:283-300.
- Halbert, N.D. and J.N. Derr. 2007. A comprehensive evaluation of cattle introgression into US federal bison herds. Journal of Heredity. 98:1-12.
- Hedrick, P.W. 2009. Conservation genetics and North American bison (Bison bison). Journal of Heredity 100:411-420.
- Polziehn, R.O., R. Beech, J. Sheraton, and C. Strobeck. 1996. Genetic relationships among North American bison populations. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74:738-749.
(Matthew Cronin was a research professor at the University of Alaska and is now at Northwest Biology Company LLC and an affiliate professor at Montana State University. He can be reached at croninm@aol.com. Check WLJ.net for a list of references and citations of this column.)
