Editorial: Move of Yellowstone bison to tribes a good thing

Tuesday, April 10, 2012  

"After years of pointed debates and legal maneuvers, dozens of Yellowstone National Park bison were recently loaded and transported in trailers from their quarantine pens near Gardiner just outside the park to Fort Peck Reservation almost 500 miles way.

A drum group of tribal members greeted the 62 animals with a song of welcome as they were placed in a two-acre holding pen 25 miles north of Poplar on March 19. It is good news for the tribes and for state wildlife officials’ efforts to reintroduce bison to parts of Montana where they used to roam.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has plans to place 40 bison at each of four sites: Fort Peck Reservation, Fort Belknap Reservation, Spotted Dog Wildlife Management Area and the Marias River Wildlife Management Area. Tribal leaders are committed to restoring their relationship with the iconic animal that played such an integral part in the lives of their ancestors on the Great Plains."

Get the Story:
Gazette opinion: Bison make good move to new reservation home (The Billings Gazette 4/10)

Related Stories:
Opinion: Tribes looking to reclaim heritage with bison herds (4/6)
Group protests governor's visit to Fort Peck Tribe bison site (4/3)
Editorial: Allow transfer of bison to Montana reservations (3/28)
Judge's ruling puts hold on move of bison from Yellowstone (3/22)
Fort Peck Tribes accept transfer of bison from Yellowstone (3/21)