Wildlife Management: Negotiations on a Long-Term Plan for Managing Yellowstone Bison Still Ongoing

摘要

The National Park Service manages bison only within the borders of Yellowstone National Park. Outside the park, neighboring states, such as Montana, manage wildlife not only on their own lands but also on other federal lands, such as those owned by the Forest Service. According to the National Park Service, as of August 17, 1999, there were 2,444 bison in Yellowstone National Park. Although millions of bison once ranged from the Appalachian Mountains through the Great Plains, Yellowstone is the only place in the lower 48 states where bison have existed since prehistoric times, although only 23 native bison remained in Yellowstone in 1902. For thousands of years, bison, nomadic by nature, have routinely migrated in and out of what is now the park to seek food. Such migration occurs especially in severe winters and early spring, when available forage is covered by hardened or deep snow.