MCA president Gilles Stockton sent an email to Bill West regarding bison. The following is an excerpt from that correspondence.
Bill West’s sent his Bio, I worked at and managed National Wildlife Refuges for 36 years. I worked for the Missouri State Wildlife Agency for 5 years prior and was a soil consultant to farmers for two years.
31 years of my Federal Refuge work was in Montana, 20 in Lake County at the National Bison Range and 11 years in Beaverhead County at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
Dear Mr West.
I was sent the attached letters that you sent to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. I am the president of the Montana Cattlemen’s Association and we share your concerns about the appropriateness of conveying the Bison Range to the CSKT as payment to settle water rights claims. MCA has one further concern to which I am interested in your perspective.
It is our understanding that because the bison, themselves, are currently the property of the US government, that they are legally classified as wildlife. The language of the bill does not clarify what their legal status would be once transferred to a private entity – i.e. the CSKT. If they retain their status as wildlife that would put them outside of the oversight of the state veterinarian should they contact a disease. In your letter you mention that they are currently free of brucellosis, but Montana’s cattlemen worry that because brucellosis is now being carried by elk, eventually the bison may become infected. We have no objection to the CSKT or anyone else raising bison, but we worry that bison, outside of those in Yellowstone Park, that carry the wildlife classification would become an intractable political football should they become infected with brucellosis. What are your thoughts about this issue?
Sincerely
Gilles Stockton
Giles,
I was surprised to get your email. I apologize for the slow response.
My extended family was visiting. Also, I needed to think about answers to your questions. I hope they are useful
It is an honorable endeavor you seek, reducing conflict between wildlife business model and ranching business model.
I agree with your concern that bison that carry the wildlife classification would become an intractable political football should they become infected with brucellosis.
If transferred to CSKT,they should be considered domestic.
I too worry about elk carrying the disease, but Designated Surveillance Area (DSA) management plans seem to be working around YNP, keeping cattle and elk apart as much as possible. I managed Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Centennial Valley DSA of Beaverhead County for 11 years until I retired May 2019. About 6500 AUMs/yr of cattle grazing occurred on Wildlife Refuge. There is also an elk herd of 1000+. No brucella transfer despite 10-12% sero positive.
When I worked at National Bison Range I was relatively assured brucella would not get into elk or the bison because of the exterior fence. Few elk ever got out of the fence and no elk ever got into the Range, so infected animals could not enter the Range. However, in the past decade the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reduced budgets drastically for management of the Range. Reduced maintenance allowed fences to become more pores. In the past, bighorn sheep that left the Range could not get back in. They used H-frames as jump points to occasionally get out but had no such prop to reenter. Thus, any pneumonia they might contract while out was not brought back to the Bison Range herd of BH sheep. Sadly holes developed under the fence with reduced maintenance. Big horn ewes/rams were able to leave and return. Eventually they caught pneumonia ,likely from domestic sheep and brought it back to the herd on the Wildlife Refuge. There were die offs.
If brucella in elk ever spreads to the Mission Valley, I think your question about elk with brucella entering Bison Range and transferring it to bison is a possibility given holes currently under the fence. If CSKT would make modifications to the fence to allow elk passage then your concern would certainly be valid. I have heard they prefer to allow elk passage. Under USFWS the annual roundup has served as a convenient opportunity to test animals for brucella. Any animals scheduled to leave the range are tested for brucella, TB and other diseases prior to transport. Montana veterinarian and veterinarian for the state where transferred were consulted and state laws followed for domestic livestock regulated diseases. I understand your concerns and agree with them, given sovereignty of the tribes. CSKT has no expertise in bison management on staff. They may have good livestock managers in private enterprise who can help them learn. However, jurisdiction of the State Veterinarian may not be accepted by CSKT. You may know better than I if labeled as “domestic” will fix the jurisdiction issue. Fort Peck bison quarantine facility may be an example.
yours, Bill West