Bison ignite debate over future movement, expansion in Montana

Debates are intensifying at the Montana Legislature over the state’s management of North America’s largest land mammal: the American bison. Some argue bison are a critical cultural, spiritual and historical resource. Others say bison pose a threat to the health and well-being of cattle. Now legislators are considering a number of bills that will decide where bison are allowed to graze, and which government entity gets to make that decision. In 2019, bison are confined to certain areas in the state. Some ranchers feel strongly about keeping bison in those areas because they’re carriers of brucellosis, a disease the affects bison, cattle, elk and humans. It can lead to high rates of abortion in cattle, bison and elk. Nationwide, brucellosis cost cattle ranchers billions of dollars in the last century, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Montana achieved brucellosis-free status in 2002. Researchers have not been able to document a transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle in the wild, although it is possible. According to the Department of Agriculture, more than 50 percent of bison in Yellowstone have tested positive for the disease. A private organization’s application for a bison grazing permit in central Montana has led to anxiety and fear of possible damages. Lawmakers are asking the federal government to deny the request...MORE