UPDATE: Moving Forward on Bison Management

by

UPDATE:

 

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has set the dates for a follow-up bison meeting.  Lewistown will again play host on April 15 and 16.  We will post more details when they become available.  For specific questions, please call Montana FWP at (406) 444-2535.  CLICK HERE to read the agenda.  

 

The following article was published on January 20, 2014:

 

Last September the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks department held a two-day discussion group in Lewistown, on Bison Management  in Montana.

 

From that meeting, the FWP compiled a list of 23 “parameters” that they say would guide any alternative to reintroduce bison, as part of a test project or restoration effort.

 

On January 17th, Jeff Hagener, Director of the FWP sent a memo to the members of that group, saying the FWP believes it is appropriate for a state bison management plan to move forward.

 

Because FWP believes that the planning process should be continued, FWP is proceeding with the development of a programmatic  Environmental Impact Statement to examine possible bison restoration alternatives, including:

  • Restoration of a Small Free-Ranging Bison Population to be used as a Learning Opportunity
  • Restoration of Free-Ranging Population of approximately 400 Bison as a Minimum size to maintain Genetic Integrity
  • Restoration of a Free-Ranging Population of approximately 1,000 Bison as a Preferred herd size
  • No Action. Not restore any population of bison.

A Draft of the framework for the EIS is anticipated by mid-February.

 

FWP is planning to hold a meeting in Lewistown to discuss this framework, during the last week of March.

 

This email from January 17 includes the 23 parameters.

 

The full text of the notes from the September meeting, and the Estimated Timeline for development of the EIS are available HERE.

 

 

 

© Northern Ag Network 2014

Photo Courtesy of Montana FWP

Taylor Brown

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x