Bison trap protest continues

By KELLYN BROWN, Chronicle Staff Writer

A 24-year-old protester who remains perched over a bison trap outside West Yellowstone is not saving any bison from slaughter, a Montana Department of Livestock spokeswoman said Thursday.

"We have stated to the media and also to the protester our plan to move bison from that exit on the west boundary back to (Yellowstone National) Park," Karen Cooper said.

The state has no plans to use the Horse Butte Bison trap for the rest of the season, she said.

A man identified as Akiva Silver, a member of the Buffalo Field Campaign, has been sitting on a makeshift platform above the Horse Butte trap since Wednesday. A spokesman for the organization disputed Cooper's remarks.

"Of course that's what they're going to say," said Dan Brister.

Silver's platform is suspended from a 45-foot pole erected in the trap. The pole is supported by ropes anchored to the trap's outer walls and gates. A sign on the structure reads, "Bison trap closed to protect wildlife."

Brister said Silver climbed onto the platform in the Gallatin National Forest Wednesday, when there were no bison capture efforts under way. When officials are capturing bison, the trap is under heavy security.

"He wouldn't have been able to get up into that position if they had started," Brister said.

But now that Silver is there, officials can't use the pen.

"It would jeopardize his life if they tried to put buffalo in the pen while he's in there," Brister said, adding that Silver has food, water and warm clothes with him.

So far, authorities have not tried to pry Silver off the platform.

Loretta Ray, public affairs officer for the Gallatin National Forest, said Silver is breaking the law for building the structure on federal land, but it is unclear whether he will be charged with a crime.

"We're monitoring the situation," Ray said. "We're uncertain whether we'll press charges. We're talking to the U.S. attorney's office."

Ray agreed with Cooper that Silver's protest has had little effect so far.

"This didn't stop anything yesterday," Ray said. "And he's not in the way of any planned operations right now."

Cooper said almost 80 bison were successfully hazed back into the park from the Horse Butte area Thursday.

The Buffalo Field Campaign has often butted heads with the MDOL and the National Park Service over the capturing of bison that wander out of Yellowstone. The bison are then tested for brucellosis and the ones that test positive for the disease are slaughtered.

This year, more than 200 bison have been killed.

In a prepared statement, Silver said he was protesting because "buffalo are being killed by the very agencies entrusted with their protection. It has become the responsibility of American citizens to protect them on our own."

Staff Writer Nick Gevock contributed to this report.

Kellyn Brown is at kbrown @dailychronicle.com

Reader Comments