Yellowstone Park Bison Plan Approved

After eight years of negotiation, the federal government and state of Montana have reached agreement on a plan to manage bison that wander from Yellowstone National Park. The agreement is aimed at preserving the largest wild bison herd in the nation while reducing the risk of spreading brucellosis, which can cause cattle to abort and can cause undulant fever in humans. Yellowstone spokeswoman Marsha Karle said the plan represents the agencies’ common goal of allowing “those bison to move in and out of the park freely . . . which they are not allowed to do now” while research continues to find an effective vaccine.

Montana officials have been concerned that bison wandering out of Yellowstone could spread the disease to livestock and put the state’s cattle industry in economic peril.