YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – Montana has filed a lawsuit to try to stop Yellowstone National Park’s Bison Management Plan from being implemented.
The new plan would allow for up to 6,000 bison, which is 1,000 more than the previous upper limit. Montana claims the plan violates federal laws, with concerns rooted in the transmission of brucellosis, which can cause pregnant cows to abort. However, there has never been a documented case of brucellosis being transmitted directly from bison to cattle around Yellowstone, according to the National Park Service. Elk—a popular hunting target—also carry the disease, but Montana is not seeking to regulate that species.
“The National Park Service has repeatedly and consistently failed to engage with the State in a meaningful and transparent manner as required by law throughout the planning process,” Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said. “NPS has not given us a fair shake and has ignored concerns raised by the State. We will always defend our state from federal overreach.”
The National Park Service says it has gone above and beyond to control brucellosis while stating, “Montana has implemented few tools at its disposal to help regulate bison population numbers.”
