Monday 15 March 2021

Bison Bills Defy State and Federal Goals

 


 

The Montana legislature is working to prevent restoration of public-trust, wild bison in the state. HB302 will allow county commissions to veto any restoration of public-trust wild bison in Montana. HB318 will disqualify all possible bison for use in a transplant to restore public wild bison in our state. As part of the Republican “war on wildlife” these bills are being carried with clear party-line votes in the House of Representatives.

For the possible restoration of public-trust, wild bison on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, these bills either ignore, violate, or render meaningless, the following:

Mandates in the Montana Constitution to care for natural resources and objects of historic, cultural and recreational value; and to preserve the opportunity to harvest wild game.

Legislative guidelines for restoring public, wild bison in MCA 87-1-216.

The Montana Environmental Protection Act, for use in making difficult decisions.

Twelve years (so far) of effort and expense by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to develop a statewide plan for restoring a herd of public bison in the state.

Three polls demonstrating that 70 percent of Montanans support bison restoration on the CMR.

The mission statement of the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The mission Statement of the federal Refuge System.

The U. S. Department of Interior Bison Conservation Initiative.

The National Environmental Protection Act, for use in public decision-making.

The ability of the Russell Refuge to achieve its overall goal of restoring natural ecosystems on the Refuge, as stated in the Refuge Plan.

While touting “Protect public lands” as a smokescreen, Montana Republicans are betraying their public-trust responsibilities to manage a resource for all the people. They are bulldozing a whole history of conservation effort into the refuse pile of the “once best place”. 

 

Thank you,

Jim Bailey, Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition 

 

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