Bison grazing on the Fort Peck Reservation. Ted Wood/The Story Group

It was a huge milestone in efforts to restore bison to the wild. The bison is the one large mammal driven to near extinction that hasn’t been re-established on the Western landscape. Elk, deer, big-horn sheep

As important as the transfer of bison to Fort Peck was, a barrage of anti-bison bills in the Montana Legislature makes clear that the path to further progress will be anything but smooth.

Female bison and its calf. Joan Saba

Montana Lawmakers Fighting Restoration

The National Wildlife Federation has joined other sportsmen’s and conservation groups, the tribes and wildlife advocates to defeat the legislation. Some bills have been killed, but others that could block returning the bison to its home on the plains – to tribal lands and the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge – are still in play.

The proposals range from a ban on transferring wild bison anywhere in Montana except the National Bison Range to a bill that would hold the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks liable for any damage to private property by wild bison. Another would allow county commissioners to ban restoration of wild bison in their counties, even on tribal and federal lands. State Senator John Brenden, an outspoken proponent of the bad bison bills, recently remarked,”Why do you want to spread this creeping cancer, these woolly tanks, around the state of Montana?”

Conservationists and Tribes rally against the bad bison bills. Jake Troyer

Last year’s bison release on Fort Peck followed two decades of work by the tribes, conservation groups, and state and federal officials. The Yellowstone bison’s genetics date to an era when millions of bison roamed North America and were fundamental to Plains Indians’ physical, cultural and spiritual nourishment.

Yellowstone bison are special to the tribes because they are the last wild, free-ranging herd. For years, the tribes, NWF and other groups have urged that bison wandering out of  Yellowstone be transferred to tribal and federal lands rather than be gunned down because of fears they’ll spread the disease brucellosis to cattle.

Ungrounded Fears

The disease can cause pregnant animals to abort, but there have been no confirmed cases of bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle. Bison transferred from Yellowstone have been quarantined and are brucellosis-free.

Last Friday, the Montana House Agriculture Committee voted 9-8 in favor of a bill sponsored by Brenden that would change bison hunting regulations, allow private landowners to shoot bison if they wander onto their land, and prohibit the relocation of bison anywhere in the state, including the transfer of bison from Fort Peck to Fort Belknap, except the National Bison Range. If the bill passes, Pat Flowers, a supervisor with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said, “the state would lose the cooperation of tribes who have been exercising their treaty rights to kill bison that leave Yellowstone National Park in the winter.”

It’s time for a halt to the war on bison. Will you stand with the tribes and their conservation allies? Will you stand with the bison? These animals belong on the Western countryside, along with all the other wildlife that are crucial elements of the ecosystem, our heritage and culture. They can once again be a vital part of tribes’ economic and spiritual lives, connections to the natural world, and their children’s future. The bison’s homecoming is long overdue.

UPDATE – May 9, 2013

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and over 53,000 members and activists sent a clear message for the Montana legislature to call off its assault on bison.

One of the worst bills was killed two weeks ago after thousands of you responded to appeals from NWF. The bill by state Senator John Brenden would have changed bison hunting regulations, allowed private landowners to shoot bison if they wandered onto their land, and prohibited the relocation of bison anywhere in the state. Brenden recently remarked, “Why do you want to spread this creeping cancer, these woolly tanks, around the state of Montana?” This type of anti-wildlife rhetoric was also seen in House Bill 396, vetoed by Montana Governor Steve Bullock, that would have required county commissioner approval before any bison were relocated. Clearly, many more people see bison as an important wildlife species to be preserved and recognize their value to grassland ecosystems and other wildlife.

On Monday, Montana Governor Steve Bullock vetoed the two remaining bison bills. Senate Bill 305 would have prohibited using bison that have ever been privately owned for restoration to other lands. Senate Bill 256 would have made Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks liable for any damages resulting from wild bison that had been relocated or released.

NWF members and activists stood up for bison, and the Montana legislature and Governor Bullock listened. With a swipe of his pen, Bullock demonstrated that he agrees with NWF that bison belong on Montana public and tribal lands.

TOGETHER, we killed the bad bills, and now bison have a new future in Montana.

Donate today and help NWF continue our fight for wildlife — like bison — across the county>> 

A seep of oil-like substances adjacent to a western Colorado natural gas plant is just 60 feet from a creek that flows into the Colorado River (pictured). Photo by Judith Kohler

“It’s possible we may have dodged a bullet this time, but this should be seen as a wake-up call.”

That’s the reaction of National Wildlife Federation attorney Michael Saul to an ongoing, underground leak of what’s variously been described as oil, an oil-like substance or a mix of hydrocarbons.

The leak, or seepage, measures 200 by 170 feet and is near a natural-gas processing plant in western Colorado. The seep is just 60 feet from Parachute Creek, which flows into the Colorado River.

The source and cause of the leak are unclear. It’s not even clear exactly what is spreading underground. Workers from Williams, which owns the gas plant and pipelines in the area, discovered the leak during excavation work March 8.

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources says about 5,900 gallons of oil and more than 100,000 gallons of water had been recovered by Wednesday morning. Crews are digging up a large-diameter gas pipeline.

State and federal environmental agencies say so far, no contamination has reached the creek.

Still Waiting

That’s the good news. The bad news is five years after Colorado regulators said they would look at establishing statewide buffers around waterways, nothing has happened.

The state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission approved 300-foot setbacks from gold-medal fisheries and waters containing native cutthroat trout as part of an overhaul of oil and gas regulations in 2008. That’s a relatively small volume in a state that is the headwaters of rivers that provide water for states across the region.

Left hanging was the issue of how far back oil and gas wells and related infrastructure should be from other riparian areas. It was supposed to be addressed by a committee representing various interests.

“We’re still waiting,” said Suzanne O’Neill, executive director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation.

 The spill near the town of Parachute “is Exhibit A for the commission to begin the long-delayed work of establishing riparian setbacks,” Saul said.

Spills Happen

It’s not as if oil and gas spills are rare events in Colorado. An analysis by the Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance showed energy companies reported nearly 1,000 oil and gas spills in a three-county area in western Colorado from 2001 to 2010. Garfield County is the site of the latest incident. The counties are home to some of the nation’s largest mule deer and elk herds and native cutthroat trout. Hunting, fishing, tourism and recreation are big contributors to the area’s economy.

The Denver Post reported in 2011 that oil and gas spills were occurring at a rate of seven every five days that year and had resulted in the release of more than 2 million gallons of diesel oil, drilling wastewater and chemicals that contaminated soil and water.

A lack of statewide standards for riparian areas in Colorado mean wells like this one in North Park can be sited near waterways. Photo by Barbara Vasquez

Required setbacks and better monitoring of surface and groundwater quality are crucial to protecting keeping Colorado waterways clean and safe for people, fish and wildlife.

“This might have been detected sooner with better monitoring. We don’t know how long this has being going on,” Saul said.

Great opportunities abound to become involved in important, local on-the-ground wildlife habitat projects. Meaningful project options in most areas are right in front of us—from stream restoration to noxious weed removal to planting shrubs that wildlife need for forage.  Student groups or chapters will help participants prepare to become tomorrow’s leaders who care about our remarkable wildlife.

National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has a more than 20-year history of working with colleges and universities through its Campus Ecology program to improve their overall green educational programming and onsite sustainability. Founded in 1989, its student outreach programs, campus consulting, climate action competition, and educational events and resourcesreach about 1,000 campuses each year.

Colorado Wildlife Federation (CWF), an affiliate of NWF, is creating something new: college student chapters. CWF is encouraging college students who want to do more for wildlife habitat to join or start a new CWF student chapter. We envision that these young people will become lifelong members or supporters as they become informed and empowered to participate in the key wildlife issues that CWF tackles. In addition to meeting monthly at a convenient place, the students will participate in hands-on quarterly habitat restoration projects that CWF organizes. The student chapters will designate a member to attend CWF board and Issues Committee meetings, and to shadow a board or staff member at the Capitol during the state legislative session. These opportunities provide excellent real-world examples of how the students can put their degree to work and build their own networks.

The first event for CWF’s new Metro Student CWF Chapter (Metropolitan State University of Denver) was held on October 5 at South Platte Park in Littleton, a Denver suburb where NWF holds its wonderful Hike & Seek event. Students worked with South Suburban Park staff to remove hundreds of invasive buckthorn bushes from the wetland areas in the park.  Students felt energized as they helped enable native trees and bushes to thrive. In turn, this project enabled park staff to accomplish a large task they could not assume on their own.  College students have a lot of energy!

Students and other volunteers with the Colorado Wildlife Federation remove buckthorn, an invasive species. NWF photo courtesy John Gale.

How to start a student chapter or group:

• Identify a leader. Find an energetic individual at the educational institution such as a professor, teacher, a committed student, or parent who will help recruit and mentor students and facilitate meetings.  If you are looking for a professor or teacher to fill this role, consider an instructor in an earth science course. The affiliate’s staff and board members serve as the catalyst by providing guidance, expertise, and a vehicle for projects that are meaningful for the students and age appropriate as they help protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat.
• Draft goals for the chapter in collaboration with the leader. Will the group focus upon on-the-ground education and habitat restoration projects?  Do you want to include an advocacy education component?
• Recruit members.  We suggest that you review the goals with the students who initially join the new chapter and make adjustments if needed. To work, the goals must be feasible and embraced by the student membership. It also is important to identify and schedule an initial project or event (consistent with the goals) that will energize the group.  Additionally, your organization should consider offering a special student membership rate to the student chapter members.

If you are interested in forming a student chapter, CWF is pleased to offer guidance and expertise. Contact Ashley Rust at arust1@mscd.edu

For more ideas, to support our work, and to learn more about wildlife conservation initiatives in Colorado, visit  Colorado Wildlife Federation  and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. And to learn more about NWF’s Campus Ecology program, you can visit CampusEcology.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Ashley Rust is a Colorado Wildlife Federation Board Member & Professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver. John Gale is a Regional Representative for National Wildlife Federation. 

Colorado’s Blue River. Photo by Lew Carpenter

Fish and wildlife are feeling the effects:

• Sagebrush and other plants that pronghorns and mule deer depend on in the winter are in bad shape in spots.
• Water levels in some reservoirs and streams are low following a dry spring and record heat this summer. Nearly all the fish in a northeastern Colorado reservoir died in September after strong winds churning the water further depleted the already low oxygen levels.
• A drop in the number of pheasants on Colorado’s eastern plains has resulted in one of the worst-ever hunting seasons.
• White-tail deer in South Dakota have been hit hard by a disease that causes extensive internal hemorrhaging. Biologists say there are more cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease during droughts because the midge fly, which spreads it, and deer are concentrated at water sources. South Dakota has offered hunters refunds on their licenses because of the outbreak.
• In Wyoming, hunters have reported seeing pronghorns so thin that their ribs are visible.

“In a lot of areas, we haven’t had any growth, no forage production at all,” Jason Hunter,  a wildlife supervisor with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, told the Casper Star-Tribune.

The vegetation isn’t much better in Colorado, but state wildlife biologists say the mule deer, pronghorns and elk appear to be in good condition. ”For now in Colorado, other than localized issues, we’re not seeing big-game problems,” state Parks and Wildlife spokesman Randy Hampton said.

The drought-damaged forage is a concern, Hampton added, but the unseasonably dry, warm weather has actually eased the problem a bit. The warmer weather has allowed the animals to stay at higher elevations longer so the lower-elevation range, where the forage is in sub-par condition, isn’t being grazed as much as it normally would be.

“It’s not optimal. If the cycle continues on this path and we end up with a prolonged drought, that’s where we get much more worried about range damage.”

Pheasant on the plains

No one knows how long it will take for the Cache la Poudre River in northern Colorado to recover from the sediment and other contaminants eroding from mountain slopes left barren by an 87,000-acre wildfire in June. The fallout from a 2002 wildfire killed about 70 percent of the adult fish along the South Platte River after storms swept mud and debris into the river.

“Only now can we say the Platte’s back to where it had been in the past,” Hampton said.

Little relief in sight

Near-term forecasts don’t promise much relief in the Rockies. Dry, warm weather remains on the horizon as the U.S. is on track for its warmest year ever, heightening concerns about climate change.

John Ellenberger has lived for more than two decades in western Colorado. He knows the countryside well from his work as a game warden and later the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s big game manager. He remembers the droughts of the late ‘70s, late ‘90s and 2002-2003.

“This one is shaping up to be as bad or worse than any of them,” Ellenberger said.

The Grand Junction area, where Ellenberger lives, averages only about 8.5 inches of moisture annually. The high-desert landscape has received a scant 3.25 inches so far this year.

Fellow hunters and state wildlife officers agree the deer, elk and pronghorns don’t seem to have been affected by the drought to this point, Ellenberger said. However, he worries about what lies ahead.

“If you don’t have the forage production in the fall on the winter ranges for these animals, the females can’t support themselves and a developing fetus,” he said. “I think you definitely could see decreases in reproduction and survival of young.”

Rio Grande Wilid Turkey puffing out his feathers. U.S. FWS photo by Robert Burton.

Original wild turkey distribution in North America (image via Wikimedia).

Turkeys are the largest member of the grouse family and they are the second largest wild bird in North America (after Trumpeter swans).  Males weigh 11-24 lbs and females 5-12 lbs. Like many sexually dimorphic species, males are selected for maximum sex appeal while females are more sensibly selected to be the right size to glean food from their environment and escape predators.  Males can get away with being larger than females as they leave all the rearing of the chicks (poults) to the hens and are not a part of family flocks.

A flock of wild turkey, captured by the author as they strolled by. NWF photo by Sterling Miller.

Where I live in western Montana, wild turkeys were introduced about 10 years ago in the upper Bitterroot Valley near Hamilton, Montana. I believe that wild turkeys did not originally occur in western Montana as I’ve found no reference to them in the Journals of Lewis and Clark. About 5 years after their introduction in the Upper Bitterroot Valley, we were excited to see them at our place about 50 miles south.  We’ve been seeing them regularly ever sense.  I took the pictures here last fall when a flock of 17 birds (including 2 adult hens and 15 poults) strolled by. This appeared to be a combined family as the normal clutch has 10-12 eggs. The open clearing and pasture lands created by humans where forests used to grow creates favorable habitat for wild turkeys.

Benjamin Franklin praised the wild turkey and dissed our national bird, the bald eagle, as being “a Bird of bad moral charcter….[who] does not get his living honestly.” I suppose this criticism stems from the fact that smaller birds attack eagles with impunity and eagles steal food from Osprey and other birds. Franklin contrasted the bald eagle with the turkey,

“…a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America….Though a little vain and silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

No doubt Franklin’s perception of turkey’s as “vain” reflects the male bird’s strutting behavior during breeding season.  Courtship displays like this, however, are common in many birds and other animals and serve a vital purpose in allowing females to choose the best available mate to father their offspring.  Franklin, himself, was known to dress up to impress the ladies and this is no different in intent or function from what many wildlife species, including turkeys, do.

Today, the term “turkey” has come to mean different things including “a stupid, foolish, or inept person.” However, this definition must refer to domestic turkeys and not the the canny wild turkey.   While the turkey on your Thanksgiving table is very different from the wild turkey, this success story is one I encourage a share this holiday season.

What wild animal or plant are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Let us know in the comments below!

The Great Plains spread eastward from the foothills of Wyoming (Photo by Sarah Pizzo)

Jason explains that the plants, animals and humans of the American prairie have been evolving together for millennia. Bison were an integral part of the prairie ecosystem: their hooves broke up the soil so seeds could germinate and their wallows – the depressions left when they rolled in the dirt – gathered rain which fed medicinal plants.

The lives of Native Americans were also inextricably tied to the bison. They followed the herds across the plains, relying on the great creatures for food, shelter and tools. They worshipped bison, performing religious ceremonies to promote its abundance and express gratitude for its ultimate sacrifice to them in the hunt.

The U.S. Army recognized this reliance in the late 19th century, when the westward movement of miners and homesteaders led to clashes with the resident Sioux, Cheyenne, Shoshone, and Arapaho. To defeat the tribes and clear the way for “Manifest Destiny,” the U.S. Army used the following tactic: eliminate the tribes’ main food source.

A herd of wild bison approach the author’s car in Yellowstone National Park (Photo by Sarah Pizzo)

NWF has been working for two decades to transfer some of these Yellowstone bison – whose numbers now overwhelm the Park’s capacity – back to their native lands. Our first major victory came last spring when we helped the Fort Peck Tribes move 61 Yellowstone bison to their reservation in northeast Montana. The tribes are thrilled to have these “tatanka” home. The bison and their 21 new calves are enjoying thousands of acres of wild prairie.

Today, NWF is working with Jason and other members of the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes to move a herd of Yellowstone bison to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. A group of bison awaits transfer on a Montana ranch. The land and the tribes are ready to receive them. Standing in the way is a complex web of legal and political hurdles that we are working to overcome.

Late in the day on my visit to Yellowstone, I came upon a lone buffalo walking the center line of the Park’s loop road. I pulled to the shoulder to give him space to pass and he paused long enough to make eye contact. I stared with a sense of wonder and respect. His return gaze was fearless and unconcerned. And at that moment I knew: we are beginning to restore the balance.

A Yellowstone bison wanders along the Park road (Photo by Sarah Pizzo)

The latest projection for tar-sands pipelines. Via U.S. Department of State.

Debra White Plume previously said “I think our Native Nations are going to stay opposed to the Keystone XL Pipeline and stay opposed to any other oil pipelines that come through here because we understand that water is a precious resource. It is a gift from our grandfather, and it’s a gift for life, a gift of life.”

At the conclusion of the press conference, Tom Weis, president of Climate Crisis Solutions, delivered an open letter signed by prominent individuals, including Bill McKibben, Darryl Hannah and tribal leaders, to both Obama and Romney campaign offices calling on them to withdraw support for Keystone XL.

Late last year, President Obama rejected TransCanada’s bid to build a $7 billion oil pipeline linking the tar sands of Alberta to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico so that the State Department could further study the environmental impacts of the pipeline on its 1,179 mile route from Alberta to Nebraska. The Department of State has recently started the process for issuing a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The previous EIS failed to include the required government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes and did not adhere to the laws regarding tribes, such as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney has stated that on the first day of his presidency he will sign an executive order to build the Keystone Pipeline. It certainly doesn’t appear that he cares whether the pipeline will negatively impact tribal communities. While Obama delayed the project for further study, his current stance is unclear.

The federal government has a duty to consider tribal impacts when considering whether to approve the pipeline. Given the lack of attention to tribal concerns about keystone during the campaign, one has to be left wondering: will either of the candidate stand up for tribal rights and protect their cultural and environmental resources that Keystone threatens?

The National Wildlife Federation has a long history of partnering with Native American Tribes to conserve and protect wildlife for our children’s future and currently partners with tribes to oppose the Keystone Pipeline and ensure their concerns regarding the pipeline are addressed.

Elk in a field on the Charles Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Flickr photo by by Nathan Jongewaard.

September marks the time of year when lush river bottoms along the Missouri River in north-central Montana are transformed into their annual splendor. In the late afternoon hours on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR), golden light hits the fall colors of the cottonwoods, redosier dogwood, willow and chokecherry, illuminating a unique palette of color that lasts only a few precious weeks.  In addition, hundreds of elk congregate along the fertile river-bottom in the Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area—a cacophony of bugles and grunts fill the canyon walls into the twilight hours.  With the nearest major city hundreds of miles away, it’s no problem getting front row seats.

What is the Elk Rut?

The elk mating period, widely referred to as the “rut” is a spectacular opportunity to view large herds of male elk bulls aggressively pursuing female elk cows in a ritual courtship.  This annual courtship is photoperiodic, meaning that as the days become shorter in September elk take notice and the cows come into estrus. Large bull elk are on high alert and will often fight to secure a harem of more than 20 cows and spend significant time and energy fending off smaller, inferior bulls.  Since elk shed their antlers every year, the older bulls grow a larger set than the previous year—sometimes growing as fast as an inch per day during the summer and ultimately weighing more than 40 pounds. Using these massive antlers, the dominant bull is able to fend off the lesser competition and gain the opportunity to reproduce.

This video I had the honor to film through a spotting scope while at the CMR.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to Get to the CMR

As the best places often are—traveling to the CMR is difficult and requires a certain degree of planning.  Although massive in size (1.1 million acres) this national wildlife refuge is extremely remote.  Most adventurous travelers drive through Billings, Montana and head north for about 150 miles to where the Missouri River crosses the landscape.  From there, one can follow signs to the refuge towards the east and roll down the windows to listen for bugling elk.  For more information on how to visit this spectacular refuge please contact fischerk@nwf.org.

NWF’s Work on the CMR

NWF has been intimately involved with wildlife and resource issues on the CMR for more than 25 years. Currently NWF is working collaboratively with landowners, agencies and sportsmen to restore a wild, free-roaming population of bison to the CMR. Show your support for wild landscapes like the CMR by sharing this exclusive footage with your family and friends and by learning more at NWF.org/RestoringBison.

Denver’s skyline was frequently hazy this summer because of wildfires.

The emissions from the fires are doing more than messing with our view. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research have found that the emissions are pumping out tens of thousands of tons of particles, carbon dioxide, pollutants that form ground-level ozone and even mercury produced by power plants and absorbed by vegetation.

Atmospheric scientist Christine Wiedinmyer at NCAR in Boulder is among the researchers studying what the wildfires are doing to our air quality. It’s a crucial question for the Denver metro area and northern Colorado, which have struggled through the years to meet federal air-quality standards.

It’s a serious concern for the entire region, where wildfires, including Colorado’s most destructive on record, have burned all summer. And it’s a problem likely to get worse as record hot, dry weather, driven by climate change, intensifies the fire danger in the West.

Wiedinmyer has compared Colorado’s wildfire emissions in 2002—another bad year—to this summer. Carbon monoxide emissions from April through June 2002 totaled 47,000 metric tons, or the equivalent of 15 percent of all human-caused sources for that time period. During the same period this year, wildfires in Colorado produced 76,000 metric tons of carbon monoxide—equivalent to 24 percent of all human-caused carbon monoxide in those three months. Carbon monoxide is an air pollutant regulated by air quality standards and is also released from man-made sources such as cars and power plants.

Carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas produced by human activities, was boosted by the wildfires this year. Wiedinmyer calculated that the fires generated 1.3 million metric tons of the gas through July. In 2009, the last year for which data were available, Colorado’s entire commercial sector emitted 4.6 million tons of carbon dioxide. The grand total for all sectors was 93.7 million metric tons.

“Overall, the fires are equivalent to a small fraction of that the man-made emissions of carbon dioxide,’’ Wiedinmyer said, “but when you start looking at individual sectors, at individual types of fuel, like coal or natural gas, it can be significant.’’

Smoke rises from a wildfire burning in Boulder’s foothills.

The figure of 1.3 million tons from this year’s wildfires covers just the first seven months. The number doesn’t include emissions from out-of-state fires that drift into Colorado.

The research has caught the attention of Colorado state health officials, who are trying to figure out what larger, more frequent wildfires will mean for air quality – and the mandate to meet federal standards. State regulators have tightened regulations on the natural gas industry in eastern Colorado as the metro area has slipped out of compliance the past few years.

So, health officials want to know the volume and type of emissions coming from wildfires, said Gordon Pierce of the state air pollution control division. Pierce said much of the state’s concern centers on the fine particles and other pollutants that form ground-level ozone.

Other states are also looking at the research on pollution from wildfires.

“One of the reasons we’ve looked at that, and the carbon releases from the fires, was that states are looking at their carbon emissions and trying to understand their carbon budget for policy purposes,’’ Wiedinmyer said. “Particularly in the Western U.S., it’s really important to consider the fires and what’s happening to the ecosystems. You have large releases of carbon to the atmosphere when you have these large-scale fires and they are significant when you compare them to anthropogenic emissions.’’

Pledge to vote wildlife-friendly this election>>

Yellowstone Bison in the quarantine pasture in Gardiner, Montana – Photo by Ted Wood

Over the past few decades, the tribes have restored six of the seven ungulate species that were historically present on our tribal lands. With today’s resolution, we are taking a huge step to restoring the last of those seven species, the bison. The resolution and an accompanying letter have been delivered to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar requesting that Yellowstone bison, currently being held on Ted Turner’s Green Ranch in Montana, be relocated to Wind River and formally asking for government-to-government consultation to make their request a reality.

Priority landscapes for bison

Yellowstone bison return to Fort Peck Reservation in Montana – Photo by Ted Wood

The Yellowstone bison are among the few in North America with no cattle genes. The Yellowstone area is the only place where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Two centuries ago, there were more than thirty million buffalo roaming North American, but by the turn of the 19th-century, less than one hundred remained. Tribal peoples rounded up some of those bison to save them, and some of those bison became seed animals for the Yellowstone herd. Today’s decision by the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes provides an opportunity for the historical relationship between buffalo and American Indians to come full circle, and is a huge stride toward achieving the return of bison to their Wind River homeland.

Help us get the Yellowstone Bison to Wind River

Please donate to the National Wildlife Federation Tribal Lands Partnerships Program to help get these 140 bison back to tribal lands.

For more information on NWF’s efforts to restore Yellowstone bison to tribal lands, please check out NWF’s Tribal Lands Partnerships webpage.

Shoshone Tribal Bison Representative – Jason Baldes – Photo courtesy Kelly Gorham, Montana State University

Baldes, a sought after speaker, is currently an officer of the Society of American Indian Graduate Students.