Shelby Meeting Set for Comments on Bison Environmental Assessment

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host three public meetings, including one in Shelby, to discuss and seek comment on an environmental assessment of four interim locations and management for about 150 disease-free bison pending the development of a statewide bison conservation strategy.

The interim locations are the 5,800-acre Marias River Wildlife Management Area near Shelby, the 28,000-acre Spotted Dog WMA near Avon, the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation near Malta and the Fort Peck Indian Reservation near Wolf Point. Under the proposal, bison could be moved to one or any combination of the four potential locations.

The Shelby meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Marias River Electric Coop, 910 Roosevelt Highway. The other meetings will take place at 7 p.m., Oct. 17, in Glasgow at the Civic Center, 319 3rd Street S.; and 6:30 p.m., Oct. 5, in Deer Lodge at the Community Center, 146 Cottonwood Street.

The bison are part of a project that began in 2004 aimed at determining if the animals can be kept free of the bacteria that causes brucellosis, a disease that results in miscarriages in some pregnant animals, including domestic cattle, bison and elk. The bison, which were repeatedly tested for the disease, are considered brucellosis-free, but to complete the feasibility study additional follow-up testing will continue.

FWP Wildlife Bureau Chief Ken McDonald said the goal is to relocate up to 150 of the disease-free bison from the quarantine facility and from a temporary site at the Green Ranch near Bozeman. A “no action” alternative would have the bison remain at these locations.

Should the animals be relocated to the WMAs, the bison would be held for an interim period pending completion of a statewide conservation strategy which is expected by 2015. That conservation strategy would identify potential permanent locations for brucellosis-free bison.

There are no infrastructure costs associated with the interim tribal lands under consideration. A range of infrastructure improvement costs between $637,000 to $2 million are possible on the wildlife management areas for potential boundary fences, pasture fences, gates, corrals, chutes, and outbuildings.

"It's FWP's intention to keep monitoring and testing all of the bison at any of the interim sites," McDonald said. Management plans for each site would also include commitments by FWP or the Tribes to immediately respond to any escapes of bison from the facilities.

For more information and to comment visit FWP online at fwp.mt.gov. Click Recent Public Notices. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 19.

Wild bison exist in Alaska, Arizona, Utah, Canada and other places. Today in Montana wild bison that migrate north from Yellowstone National Park are found in winter near West Yellowstone and Gardiner. In years past, animals from Yellowstone were used to help restore elk, antelope and other wildlife herds in Montana and other areas of the West.