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are especially important at night when buffalo
are difficult to see. Even people who do not agree
with our position take the time to thank us for our
presence on the highways.
Wild bison are currently mismanaged under a
joint government plan—the Interagency Bison
Management Plan—crafted largely by cattle
interests. e catalyst for the plan is a Montana
law, MCA 81-2-120, giving the MTDOL author-
ity over wild buffalo, which makes as much sense
as putting the fox in charge of the hen house.
is law classifies buffalo as "an animal in need of
disease control," and is managed for removal under
state veterinarian authority. Montanan's who care
about wildlife being managed by biologists and
scientists need to help us repeal MCA 81-2-120.
Livestock interests claim wild buffalo threaten
cows with brucellosis, a bacteria originating in
invasive cattle. ere has never been a document-
ed case of wild buffalo transmitting brucellosis to
cattle. Elk have been implicated numerous times,
yet are free to roam. e centuries-old range war
about grass and who gets to eat it is still being
waged against the buffalo.
Yellowstone buffalo face serious threats,
including government trapping-for-slaughter, ex-
cessive hunting, domestication through quaran-
tine, and harassment on National Forest habitat.
e International Union for the Conservation
of Nature has "red listed" the American buffalo
as "threatened with near extinction." Even the
state of Montana classifies wild buffalo as being
"threatened with global extinction." Regardless
of their biological status, wild buffalo have no
protection, not even in Yellowstone National
Park, where a bison trap has sent thousands to
slaughterhouses in Montana.
With no prospect in sight to protect buffalo
under state law, we have turned to the Endan-
gered Species Act to protect these imperiled
gentle giants. BFC welcomes you to join our
efforts in defending this sacred, keystone species,
our country's National Mammal.
BFC IS THE ONLY GROUP WORKING IN THE FIELD,
IN THE POLICY ARENA, AND ON THE LEGAL FRONT,
IN DEFENSE OF AMERICA'S LAST WILD,
MIGRATORY BUFFALO.
JUNE 20-22
RED LODGE,
MONTANA
NASHVILLE
HIT SONGWRITERS
RISING STARS
SONGWRITERS
EIGHT GREAT
VENUES
RedLodgeSongwriterFest.org
JOIN US for the
Rob Crosby • Will Robinson
Karen Staley • James Dean Hicks
Brett Jones • John Pierce
special guest Kostas
and many more!
Tony Lane
