More Area For The Buffalo To Roam
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Montana Department of Livestock announced Monday that the two agencies will be jointly conducting an environmental review of a proposal to allow some bison to inhabit lands adjacent to or near the border of Yellowstone National Park year-round. This scoping notice is the first step in the environmental review and intended to solicit public comment regarding the proposal. The state’s Department of Livestock explains the action would be an adaptive change to the Interagency Bison Management Plan that would allow for year-round bison use in portions of the Gallatin National Forest including The Hebgen Basin, the Cabin Creek Recreation and Wildlife Management Unit, the Monument Mountain Unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area, and the Upper Gallatin River corridor. Meanwhile, bull bison could roam year-round in the Gardiner Basin. The agencies made the announcement in a news release Monday which lists the end of the scoping process on August 24th. Officials anticipate having a draft environmental assessment for the plan in late October and a final decision by mid-December.
