Coalition Published in Rewilding Earth

Coalition Coordinator, Jim Bailey, has published an illustrated essay titled “Bison Advocacy: The Tranquilizing Drug of Gradualism” in Rewilding Earth, an e-journal of the Rewilding Institute. 

Part of the title is taken from a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. as he inspired activism during the civil rights movement. Bailey draws an analogy of largely accepted slow progress in civil rights with the century-old failure to restore public, wild bison in Montana. He concludes; “For bison restoration, we must move past the comfortable stance of endless negotiation and shunning of those who dare to speak frankly for bison. It is time to discard the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.”

See the essay at rewilding.org/bison-advocacy

Jim Bailey

 

Ups and Downs for Bison Restoration

 Click to read our Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition Proposal

As noted earlier, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has solicited site-specific proposals for bison restoration and conservation in our state. Regrettably, our appeals to other major wildlife conservation groups to work jointly in preparing a proposal for restoring public, wild bison on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge were declined or ignored. Therefore, we have produced a draft proposal to develop a herd entirely within the UL Bend area of the Refuge, north of Fort Peck Reservoir. The herd would be allowed to grow up to 400 animals, contained within about 150 square miles of diverse habitat.

In the long term, 400 bison would not be a genetically adequate herd. But we are proposing this as a “test project” in which bison movements would be evaluated and FWP would test and demonstrate its ability to fund and manage the herd. Conservative hunting strategies would be tested after the herd reached 200 bison. Once the herd reached 400 animals, perhaps in 10 years, all results would be evaluated, with public input, and a decision on how to proceed would occur.

Being entirely within the CMR National Wildlife Refuge, with required monitoring of bison health by the state veterinarian, the project is intended to have no negative impacts on Montana ranchers.

However, United Property Owners of Montana (UPOM) have sued FWP and the state, claiming that the final impact statement and decision to solicit site-specific proposals, for yet more analysis and public review, has violated the Montana Environmental Protection Act. We believe the arguments are invalid. But the wheels of justice almost always move slowly, and this likely will stall efforts to restore a public, wild bison herd in Montana for at least a year. Meanwhile, FWP is not reviewing any submitted proposals.

Delay will allow UPOM and the Montana livestock industry to solicit legislation, in 2021, to forever prohibit any restoration of public, wild bison in Montana. A new governor could sign such new legislation, although it would be contrary to the Montana Constitution and would void previous legislated guidelines for bison restoration.

Most Montanans have little or no awareness of this situation. It is urgent to develop public recognition of the precarious status of bison conservation in our state. The Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition will do all it can in this regard. But there are many distractions in the public media this year. We implore readers to post bison information on personal websites and to promote forthright public discussion, especially by national and state organizations dedicated to wildlife conservation. 

Jim Bailey 

Ups and Downs for Bison Restoration

 As noted earlier, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has solicited site-specific proposals for bison restoration and conservation in our state. Regrettably, our appeals to other major wildlife conservation groups to work jointly in preparing a proposal for restoring public, wild bison on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge were declined or ignored. Therefore, we have produced a draft proposal to develop a herd entirely within the UL Bend area of the Refuge, north of Fort Peck Reservoir. The herd would be allowed to grow up to 400 animals, contained within about 150 square miles of diverse habitat.

In the long term, 400 bison would not be a genetically adequate herd. But we are proposing this as a “test project” in which bison movements would be evaluated and FWP would test and demonstrate its ability to fund and manage the herd. Conservative hunting strategies would be tested after the herd reached 200 bison. Once the herd reached 400 animals, perhaps in 10 years, all results would be evaluated, with public input, and a decision on how to proceed would occur.

Being entirely within the CMR National Wildlife Refuge, with required monitoring of bison health by the state veterinarian, the project is intended to have no negative impacts on Montana ranchers.

However, United Property Owners of Montana (UPOM) have sued FWP and the state, claiming that the final impact statement and decision to solicit site-specific proposals, for yet more analysis and public review, has violated the Montana Environmental Protection Act. We believe the arguments are invalid. But the wheels of justice almost always move slowly, and this likely will stall efforts to restore a public, wild bison herd in Montana for at least a year. Meanwhile, FWP is not reviewing any submitted proposals.

Delay will allow UPOM and the Montana livestock industry to solicit legislation, in 2021, to forever prohibit any restoration of public, wild bison in Montana. A new governor could sign such new legislation, although it would be contrary to the Montana Constitution and would void previous legislated guidelines for bison restoration.

Most Montanans have little or no awareness of this situation. It is urgent to develop public recognition of the precarious status of bison conservation in our state. The Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition will do all it can in this regard. But there are many distractions in the public media this year. We implore readers to post bison information on personal websites and to promote forthright public discussion, especially by national and state organizations dedicated to wildlife conservation. 

 Jim Bailey

 

Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition Needs Funding

 
Alas, recent activity, especially production of two short videos, has depleted the Coalition’s bank account. Moreover, Release of the Bison Restoration Record of Decision by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks requires a ramped up Coalition response, including to produce a detailed proposal for restoring public, wild bison on and near the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

The Coalition is an all-volunteer organization with all donations supporting actions dedicated to our two goals: disseminating information on the issues of restoring wild bison to Montana and especially to lands where bison are accepted on and near the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

Efforts to restore public, wild bison to Montana have been unsuccessful for over 100 years. Today, we may be closer to success than ever before. Continued, persistent activity will be necessary. Please consider contributing to assure that public, wild bison will be part of our legacy to future generations of Montanans. 

See the “Contribute” page at mtwildbison.org to become a contributor to the Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition.

Thank you. 

Jim Bailey, Coordinator

FWP Solicits Proposals for Bison Restoration!

The much delayed Fish, Wildlife & Parks Record of Decision for the 2012-2015 Environmental Impact Statement for a “programmatic’ plan to restore public, wild bison to Montana was released early this month. This ROD rejects the “no action” alternative and solicits detailed proposals from the public, for where and how public bison will be restored to the Montana landscape.

The ROD concludes: “the record shows that management issues (of bison restoration) can be successfully addressed at a landscape scale.” FWP received over 21,000 public comments on the EIS. “Much of the public comment centered on restoration within the complex of lands adjacent to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.”

FWP provided lists of abundant topics and issues that must be addressed in any successful proposal for restoring public, wild bison. Preparing a proposal will be very large task. The Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition is exploring collaboration with other major NGOs to develop a joint proposal.

Jim Bailey

Saving the Bison Range genome: Replicate it on the CMR!

Montana Senators Daines and Tester have submitted a bill, S3019, intended primarily to settle complex water-rights issues with the Kootenai/Salish tribes on the Flathead Reservation. However, the bill includes transferring the National Bison Range and its historic bison into control by the Tribes.

Being formally limited by its two stated goals, the Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition will not comment on transfer of the Bison Range to the Tribes. However, preservation of the bison is related to our goal of restoring bison on and near the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

We have submitted a letter to the senators noting the unique genetic values of Bison Range bison and the need to replicate that genome, for security, in a second herd. Moreover, the CMR Refuge is the best place for replicating the Bison Range herd. Please see our letter and register your support for saving the Bison Range herd with Senators Daines and Tester by logging on to their websites and using the “contact us” button. 

 

Former FWP Biologists Promote Bison Restoration on CMR

Former FWP Biologists Promote Bison Restoration

Recently, nine former employees of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, averaging over 25 years of service each, cosigned a letter toGovernor Steve Bullock to support restoring a public, wild bison herdon the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

Biologists thanked Governor Bullock for vetoing, in 2017 and 2019, anti-bison legislation that would have ended any future for wild bison in Montana; but noted: “These efforts could come to naught with a new governor in 2021.” They said, “We have failed to preserve public, wild bison as anything more than seasonal, abused visitors to our state.”

“The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge is the largest federal refuge within the historic range of plains bison. Elsewhere in the Great Plains, bison herds on federal and state lands do not provide herd sizes, range sizes, or habitat quality and diversity necessary for long-term preservation of truly wild bison and their wild-adapted genomes.”

Biologists noted several political and biological issues of bison restoration that indicate the CMR Refuge is the best possible location for restoring public wild bison, leaving a “long-lasting legacy of the Bullock administration for future generations of Montanans and the nation.”