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A large crowd packed a Bureau of Land Management Resource Advisory Council (RAC) meeting in Lewistown on Wednesday to discuss running bison on public lands bordering the Missouri River. One BLM official said proponents want to create a vast “American Serengeti” where bison can roam either as domestic livestock or as wild animals.
In some respects, it appears to be a re-run of the controversy, which started in early 2001 when then-President Bill Clinton announced the creation of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Many of the same people who led the charge against the Monument are leading the effort against establishment of a bison herd on the River.
Most of those who spoke at Wednesday’s meeting opposed putting bison there, but a change in the agenda may have contributed to few proponents showing up.
Mary Jones, with the Friends of the Monument, noted she and others were informed that a presentation on the BLM buffalo initiative had been cancelled. That resulted in many proponents not showing for the meeting, she said.
“These people who promise to come here should understand that this is a very important issue to our area. When they say they are coming, they should come,” said Jones of those who were to make a presentation on establishing a large buffalo preserve along the Missouri River.
Because of the big turnout and intense interest in the bison issue, RAC Chairman Ron Moody re-established the bison issue on the meeting’s agenda and allowed those who said they wanted to comment to do so. He also invited each RAC board member to comment.
The most emotional audience comment came from Robert Fink, 78, Roy, who said that he “sends the county $6,000 a year in taxes and if you run buffalo on my place I won’t be able to do that.
“I am not just saying no, I am saying hell no,” said Fink.
Gene Terland, Billings, Montana/Dakotas BLM director, said that BLM developed a Bison Conservation Initiative in draft form and then he never heard anything more about it.
Some time ago, several federal agencies, including BLM, held a joint meeting after which they sponsored a science symposium and talked about the science of bison, Terland said. But the initiative was developed under the previous administration and it has not been reviewed by the current administration, he said. He added the current Secretary of Interior has not taken a stand on the bison proposal.
During earlier discussions on the matter, BLM officials thought it would not be possible to find a large enough block of land to stock it with 1,000 bison as some proposed, Terland said.
“It’s probably not feasible so they are not talking of creating a wildlife park,” said Terland. To create such a park, cattle grazing permits would have to be changed to allow bison on public lands. He said Montana is not the only state where conversion of such permits are to take place. He said in Utah this became a private property rights issue, the same concern as expressed by landowners at Wednesday’s meeting.
He added that BLM has had conversations with the American Prairie Foundation (APF), the private organization which has bison in Phillips County north of the Missouri River and which wants to expand its bison range.
“We have had a conversation with APF, but if you are going to create an American Serengeti (as they want to), you would have to sit down and look at it. We are aware of concerns about it. But nothing has been done on this, there are no agreements. If these were to be free-roaming (wild) bison, then the states (like Montana) would own them,” Terland said.
The Serengeti is a national park in Tanzania which is home to a large variety of wildlife.
Gladys Walling, Winifred, was the first public witness to speak. She said she and her husband, Tom, have been farming near Winifred for 42 years and for many years they have had good relations with the BLM.
“I understand the APF wants to buy 500,000 acres and run buffalo. Who would build the fences? It would mean a loss of a lot of land (to tax rolls) and would have a huge impact on the local economy,” said Walling. “We believe in keeping the buffalo out.”
Linda Newman, president of Women Involved Farm Economics (WIFE), said she ranches north of the river in Phillips County where bison already have been introduced.
“We don’t want to repeat the Yellowstone situation here,” said Newman, referring to brucellosis found in cattle on ranches near the Park. Infected bison are believed to pass brucellosis on to cattle. Brucellosis causes the animals to abort their young. Newman was one of several opponents who mentioned the brucellosis threat.
Shane Slivka, Winifred, used a pile of baseball caps to illustrate his points in favor of retaining an agricultural economy and not changing it for a tourism-based economy. He said agriculture provides for schools, banking, implement dealers and much more, but a tourism-based economy would not produce enough in taxes to support these areas.
Fergus County Commissioner Carl Seilstad said that rather than giving up a bunch of grazing allotments to bison, the allotments should be offered to neighbors in the area for cattle-raising.
“I can’t imagine wanting to put producers here in the same situation as those around Yellowstone Park,” said Seilstad.
The first proponent to speak was Steve Forrest, Bozeman, who introduced himself as “an extreme environmentalist.” Saying he was with the World Wildlife Fund, Forrest said landowners have the legal right to run the livestock they want and he didn’t think opponents should interfere with that right.
“You don’t want to open that can of worms,” he said.
Matt Knox, who said that he, his wife, Carla, and two daughters ranch 24 miles north of Winifred, expressed concern about a buffalo preserve in his back yard.
“The constant refrain of those who favor these things say that agriculture is in decline and that we ranchers and farmers are getting old,” said Knox. “But there have been very few foreclosures in the last few years, beef prices are pretty good and overseas consumption is growing.
“So this is not an industry in decline. Wouldn’t it be great if the kind of resources that these people are spending would be put into helping young people get onto these farms and ranches?” added Knox.
He said if bison are introduced he and other ranchers would constantly face the danger of the state losing its brucellosis-free status. Knox said that before any bison are brought in, there should be an economic analysis done and until that is done, a moratorium on bison introduction should be put in place.
Also opposing bison introduction was Rep. Ed Butcher (R-Winifred), who said the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge is “throwing people out” who have grazing permits. Joe DeMars said he is one rancher who has been thrown out of the CMR.
If a private organization gets land in the area, the land eventually will be turned over to the government and that takes it off the tax rolls, said Butcher. He added, “I strongly urge you to look at the economics in this state and region.”
Others from the public spoke for and against the proposal. Of the RAC board members who spoke, several stressed the need for more information if RAC takes on the issue.
Moody promised, “This subject will not be treated lightly.”
