American Bison - Buffalo Field Campaign

to the decline of wood bison. The 1922 Orders in Council under
the Forest Reserves and Parks Act established WBNP in an
attempt to save wood bison from extinction (Boyd 2003; Gates
et al. 2001a; 2001b; Soper 1941).
8.2.1.3 Policy development in Mexico
Historically, bison were present in five states in northern Mexico,
but until recently existed in the wild only in the borderlands
between the Janos region of Chihuahua and south-western
New Mexico (List et al. 2007). Mexico first included bison on
its red-list of endangered species in 1994. The most recent
version (SEMARNAT 2002) specifically lists bison in the Janos-
Hildago herd as “endangered wildlife”. Although the population
is afforded legal protection in Mexico, it is considered livestock
when it ranges into New Mexico. See section 8.5.5.3 for more
details on this herd.
Bison conservation in Mexico has primarily been implemented
through federal programmes; status has not yet been
established under state legislation. The National Ministry of
Environment (SEMARNAT 2002) managed bison for many
years. Recently the responsibility for priority species, including
bison, was transferred to the National Commission of Protected
Natural Areas. The Institute of Ecology of the National
University of Mexico is advocating legal protection of the herd
in both countries, including protection under international
treaties on migratory wildlife species between Mexico and
the U.S. The IUCN Bison Specialist Group (BSG) strongly
encourages this protective action and other efforts to restore
plains bison to the Chihuahuan Desert grasslands.
8.2.2 Plains bison conservation by the private sector
Private sector conservation efforts can be categorised into two
non-exclusive groups: 1) private citizens interested primarily
in commercial production of bison and secondarily in bison
conservation; and 2) private conservation groups interested
in conserving bison as wildlife. The former do not typically
have formal constitutions mandating conservation, while the
latter institutions typically do. Legislation, regulations, rules,
and policies affecting captive herds owned by these sectors
are similar to domestic livestock, focusing on transport, trade,
export, import, animal health, and use of public grazing lands.
Notably, Turner Enterprises has been involved in the development
of production herds on 14 large ranches in the U.S., the largest
number of plains bison owned and managed by a single owner.
Bison are managed with low management inputs similar to
many public conservation herds. Notably, the Castle Rock herd
on Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico is derived from stock
translocated during the 1930s from YNP and showing no evidence
of cattle gene introgression. Although some privately owned
herds may be valuable for conservation, there is no precedent for
64 American Bison: Status Survey and Conservation Guidelines 2010
assessing their long-term contribution to conservation of bison
as wildlife. Recently, the Wildlife Conservation Society developed
an evaluation matrix that helps identify the key characteristics
and possible management adjustments that would be necessary
for privately owned herds to contribute to bison conservation
(Sanderson et al. 2008). This matrix is still evolving and was
recently tested among a small producer group to refine and
improve its application. Population and genetic management
guidelines presented earlier in this document may also be useful
for guiding private producers toward managing their herds in
support of conservation. However, a system for certifying herds
for conservation management would be required to ensure that
guidelines are followed.
Several non-governmental organisations (NGO), particularly
The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Nature Conservancy of
Canada (NCC), American Prairie Foundation (APF), and the
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have been active in developing
conservation herds. More information on their initiatives can be
found in section 8.5.5.4.
8.2.3 Conservation efforts by tribes and First Nations
Many North American Native Peoples have strong cultural,
spiritual, and symbolic relationships with bison (Notzke 1994;
Zontek 2007). Some tribes believe that because the animals
once sustained their Indian way of life, they, in turn, must help
the bison to sustain their place on the earth. The conservation
of wild bison includes the intangible values these tribes hold for
bison. Values vary greatly between tribes, and in some cases,
even between members of the same tribe. Some tribal people
believe that the status of the bison reflects the treatment of North
American Indians. Interest in preserving the cultural significance
of bison, and in restoring cultural connections to the species, can
be important incentives for Native governments and communities
to participate in bison conservation (Notzke 1994; Zontek 2007).
Some tribal bison managers consider all bison as wild animals
regardless of the source of stock, genetic introgression from
cattle, or domestication history. This can be the basis for conflict
with conservation biologists who apply biological criteria when
evaluating the conservation merit of a herd. Tribal governments
commonly operate under challenging circumstances. Political
views can vary between succeeding tribal administrations,
creating unstable policies that can affect bison management and
conservation practices. Numerous Native Tribes own or influence
the management of a significant land base that has the potential
to sustain large bison herds. However, there has yet to be a
systematic survey of the number of herds or the distribution of
bison under Native management—a task of sufficient magnitude
and complexity to exceed the scope of this review.
The potential for tribes to participate in bison restoration
is improving with the development of tribal game and fish