GYC offers plan to avoid bison slaughter

By SCOTT McMILLION, Chronicle Staff Writer

A Bozeman environmental group is offering to pay ranchers if they will delay moving their cattle to the West Yellowstone area for two weeks.

The goal, according to Greater Yellowstone Coalition Director Michael Scott, is to provide some “breathing room” and potentially avoid the slaughter of 300 bison, including scores of calves.

“In an effort to avoid the public's wildlife Š being sent to slaughter, we suggest that Hebgen Basin landowners and producers delay putting their cattle out to summer pasture for two weeks,” Scott wrote in a Thursday letter to Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

Changing grazing plans can be expensive, and GYC is offering to help ranchers make up those expenses.

Cattle traditionally are brought to private grazing lands in that area in June.

Normally, by this time of year, bison grazing the spring grasses outside Yellowstone National Park have been hazed back into the park in order to keep them away from those cattle.

However, repeated hazing attempts have failed this year, and the Montana Department of Livestock has said that if the bison aren't back in the park, they'll probably be rounded up and shipped to slaughter. That operation could begin by Monday if last-ditch hazing efforts don't work.

DOL fears the bison might spread brucellosis to the cattle.

“We believe there is a better way to meet the needs of area ranchers, the bison and Montana's livestock industry,” Scott wrote.

He said in an interview that a “back of the envelope” calculation showed that it likely would cost less than $10,000 to compensate the handful of cattle ranchers in the area and the landowners who lease to them.

Expenses would include lost income or providing alternative feed for the cattle.

His letter said the offer is contingent upon Montana and other government agencies “making every effort” to return the bison to the park and delaying any capture efforts until June 18.

The letter was released late Thursday and Schweitzer's chief policy advisor, Hal Harper, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Scott said he sent the letter to the governor's office because state officials have better contacts with area landowners and cattle raisers.

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