Please consider attending Billings Bison Meeting

Dear Editor,

Where the Buffalo roam is a romantic phrase in the song “Home on the Range”. Beyond that phrase is the issue of relocation of the over populated, possibly brucellosis infected Yellowstone National Park (YNP) bison somewhere in the State of Mt. This issue is being pushed upon the citizens of Montana by State & Federal agencies and special wildlife interest groups even though the majority of MT citizens are against free roaming bison. The real issue is not that they are in danger of extinction or there is not a huntable bison population in the U.S.A. (Hunt Mountains in Utah), or even that Native Americans do not have bison already located on their reservations. There are thousands of domestic bison owned by people who care for and mange them for food and income. The real issue is the failure of Gov’t officials to address the overpopulated bison herd in YNP and decide who is going to be held responsible for them now and in the future.

I feel that another issue is that special interest groups have somehow been able to influence decisions by FWP, top Dept of Interior officials and the Governor of MT. These groups feel that these huge migratory, fence crawling beasts should be able to and have the right to roam freely upon state, federal and private lands of in MT. These groups have the same mind set as those who support wolf reintroduction, the wild horse campaign and the ever expanding bison population of YNP. The mindset that all wild animals have as many rights as humans is unrealistic and unfavorable. Treatment of all animals should be humane. However, the common thread of these programs is this, not one of these is able to sustain their populations naturally. Their numbers expand to the point where they harm the environment and other species where they range. The natural solution is to roam farther and expand their territory. That affects humans and their livelihoods, hunters, ranchers, farmers and recreationists. The current solution is to throw more money, more land, more studies and more experts in controlling these expansions and avoid human interaction. All have failed miserably and have cost the taxpayer time, money and the world food. Hunger is an immense human issue worldwide.

Billings MT is the site for yet another bison meeting on July 14-15. It is at these meetings where policy is proposed and discussed. It is at these type of meetings that we the American citizen should attend and tell our side of the story. Phillips County Livestock Assoc is providing free transportation to and from Billings on Monday the 14th. Please consider attending yet another bison meeting and tell your side once again. We can impact the end results, we need you there.

Sidebar , FYI, two groups are in the top five finalist to receive YNP bison. One is located in Phillips County, American Prairie Reserve, the other is the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

Michael Fred Ereaux

MCPA President