Park bison to roam in Montana

Bison from Yellowstone National Park will roam freely across 75,000 acres in southern Montana where for years the animals were shipped to slaughter by the hundreds, under a breakthrough agreement expected to be adopted this week. The deal — involving five state and federal agencies and several American Indian tribes — still limits where bison can go during their winter migrations. Officials say those that move beyond the newly opened habitat and head north into the Paradise Valley will continue to be shot to protect livestock against a disease carried by the wild animals. But supporters say the agreement will bring some relief to the state’s bison management dilemma, which has dragged on for two decades and resulted in the slaughter of 3,800 bison. A copy of the agreement obtained by The Associated Press shows bison will be free to roam within an area known as the Gardiner Basin when they migrate from the mountainous park during winter to graze. A map attached to the document depicts a “Bison Conservation Area” estimated by a U.S. Forest Service official at 75,000 acres, although some of that land is too steep to support bison...more