by Brett French, Billings Gazette
Montanans may be personally invested in the outcome of negotiations between Yellowstone National Park and the State of Montana about a new bison management plan, but Californians have contributed more comments on the topic.
According to a breakdown on the comments, 16.5 percent — or 508 of the 3,075 statements — were from California residents, more than from any other state or country. Montana came in second at 8.6 percent with 265 comments. New York, Florida and Illinois rounded out the top five states where commenters reside.
The correspondence was taken as part of the call for public comments on a new Yellowstone-area Bison Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement. Yellowstone and Montana officials will use the remarks to “refine and develop the alternatives for inclusion in a draft EIS” expected to be released in the summer of 2016, according to a news release. By then, there will be a preferred alternative, identifying the route the agencies are proposing to take. More comments will then be solicited on the draft EIS.
A final decision isn’t expected until the fall of 2017. The new plan would replace the current plan, which was finalized in 2000.
CLICK HERE to read the full article
Source: Billings Gazette
