Buffalo Field Campaign
formerly Buffalo Nations
P.O. Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758
Phone (406) 646-0070 Fax (406) 646-0071
E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Livestock Hazes Illegally: 29 Buffalo Captured in New Horse
Butte Trap. Two Volunteers Arrested.
Volunteers liberate 5 buffalo from Duck Creek Trap last night
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 1999
Media Contacts: Mike Mease, Sue Nackoney (406) 646-0070
WEST YELLOWSTONE: Horse Butte Capture Facility Operation Begins
Before 7:00 a.m. this morning, the Department of Livestock agents on nine
snowmobiles chased 20 buffalo from the hillside of Horse Butte and trapped
them in their new capture facility. By 8:00 a.m. DOL had chased 9 more
buffalo from the mouth of the Madison River into the trap. Buffalo were
loaded into horse trailers and transported to the Duck Creek capture
facility for testing.
One volunteer locked her neck to the cattle guard with a bike lock in order
to stop transportation of the captive buffalo to the Duck Creek capture
facility for testing. She was cut free and arrested. Her name is
unavailable for release. Another volunteer was arrested at the Duck Creek
capture facility in an attempt to lock the gates to the facilty shut to
prevent buffalo from being loaded from the trailers into the facilty. His
name was not available at the time of release.
5 buffalo released from Duck Creek Capture Facility by buffalo defenders:
Last night, March 30, volunteers released 5 buffalo from the Duck Creek
capture facility, which is located 50 feet from the boundary of Yellowstone
Park. The buffalo liberators were able to escort the freed buffalo to
safety without any arrests.
Illegal Hazing Operations within Bald Eagle Nesting Protected Area
Hazing buffalo off designated trails within 1/4 mile of an active bald
eagle nest site violates guidelines that protect the nest site. DOL
snowmobiles were documented as they drove up and down the hill off-trail
hazing buffalo into the facility. The Hebgen Lake Ranger District of the
Forest Service was not informed of these off-trail hazing activities
according to Gene Hardin, the Forest Service official available this
morning. The DOL is required to ask the Forest Service for permission to
break their restrictions on off-trail hazing. Gallatin County Sheriff
Officer with badge #637 and other officers who were on site watched the DOL
haze buffalo within the eagle closure but did not enforce the closure.
Hazing on the Madison River before 10:00 a.m. violates the guidelines for
hazing set out by the permit. Activities associated with the removal of
bison that occur within 1/4 mile of open water on the Madison arm and upper
Madison river will only be permitted between 10:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. in order
to protect the 1/2 mile radius around a bald eagle nest.
Fish Wildlife and Parks biologists who are monitoring the bald eagle nest
which is located within 1/4 mile of the capture facility have documented
that the nest is active. Two other active bald eagle nest sites are on the
Butte. Department of Livestock operations in the area are required to
follow a set of restrictions on hazing near the three nest sites and eagle
feeding areas on the Butte. Examples of restrictions are that the DOL must
receive the approval of the Forest Service prior to any hazing activities
within 1/4 mile of one of the nests.
"Obviously when the DOL decides they want to kill buffalo, all protections
for other wildlife fall to the wayside. The DOL has no incentive to care
for wildlife, whether bald eagles or buffalo, when cattle interests are at
stake," stated Sue Nackoney, spokesperson.
Background:
The Gallatin National Forest, particularly in the Horse Butte area,
provides critical winter habitat for Yellowstone wildlife, particularly
buffalo. Currently the warm south-facing slopes of Horse Butte provide the
most plentiful available forage for migrating buffalo. There have been over
30 buffalo grazing on the exposed ground on the Butte within a half mile
radius of the capture facility since early winter.
Horse Butte is a peninsula on Hebgen Lake, NW of West Yellowstone,
and is an active bald eagle nesting site. Biologists with the Montana
Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks have been daily documenting eagle
nesting activity . The area also provides habitat for additional threatened
and endangered species such as the grizzly bear and peregrine falcon.
The facility is located within 1/4 mile of a bald eagle nest, which
is actively used by a pair of bald eagles. The Fish and Wildlife Service
issued a Biological Opinion authorizing a "take" of the nest, which will
allow the impact of operating the facility to displace eagles from nest
site and render the site inactive. However, the permit to the nest was
issued assuming that construction of the facility would be complete during
nesting season, which began February 1. Construction of the facility
involves heavy machinery, soil disturbance, a generator and floodlights
that illuminate the area at night.
The state of Montana has requested up to $500,000 per year from the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the operation of the bison trap
for the purpose protecting its brucellosis-free status (a status given by
the USDA to states which have no brucellosis in their cattle herds).
However, the USDA does not have the legal authority to revoke Montana's
status based solely on the presence of potentially exposed wildlife in the
state.
The facility will capture and test buffalo who migrate to the
peninsula. The agencies claim that the operation of the capture facility
will help with the "urgent need" to reduce bison mortality. However, in the
winter of 1996-1997, the use of these facilities sent hundreds of buffalo
to slaughter. All pregnant females, regardless of whether they test
positive for brucellosis, will be shipped to slaughter. All other buffalo
testing positive will be shipped to slaughter.
More than half of the buffalo captured in a similar trap at Duck
Creek this year by the DOL have been slaughtered while only 13% have
actually carried brucellosis.
Only culture tests determine if an animal is actually infected with
brucellosis. Such tests are conducted at the slaughterhouse by the US
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). According to APHIS,
only 2 of the first 17 buffalo slaughtered this winter actually carried the
disease..
Video available upon request. Scanned still photos available.
We could really use donations; All monies will go towards living and campaign expenses for folks working in the field! for the buffalo...THANKS!
Buffalo Field Campaign
(formerly Buffalo Nations)
PO Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070 phone
406-646-0071 fax
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.wildrockies.org/buffalo
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