American Bison - Buffalo Field Campaign

3) Develop outreach to state and federal land management
agencies encouraging land management agencies
to consider bison in agency planning and policy
development.
4) Reform current policies governing suitable bison
landscapes to protect the core habitat conservation values
as defined in Sanderson et al. (2008) and this document.
This is to protect the core value of these landscapes for
future ecological restoration pending socio-economic
shifts favourable to bison restoration.
5) Develop outreach materials identifying social and
economic benefits and ecosystem services associated
with restoration of bison and prairie conservation efforts for
local communities, the private sector and governments.
6) Create a decision framework, suitable for private
conservation efforts, that encourages restoration strategies
with an ecological emphasis.
7) Create policies or economic and conservation incentives
that reward private landowners who manage for
biodiversity including bison.
8) Establish necessary state and federal regulations and legal
instruments to support valuation and compensation for
ecosystem services.
9) Work with animal health organisations (IUCN Wildlife
Health Specialist Group) and regulatory agencies to
encourage bison friendly health regulations.
10) Identify and support necessary research and monitoring
to cultivate a science-based but adaptive process for
ecological restoration of bison.
11) Encourage economic and power structures that support
sustaining local communities and lifestyles.
12) Make efforts to reform policy and legislation that impede
the interests and rights of indigenous people to manage
bison in a culturally sensitive manner.
8.5.5 Recent initiatives to conserve and restore bison
Sanderson et al. (2008) present a collective vision for the
ecological restoration of bison in North America. From a
series of meetings with various conservation organisations,
government agencies, indigenous groups, bison ranchers and
private landowners a “Vermejo Statement” was jointly written
that describes what ecological restoration of bison might look
like. Five key attributes were identified in this statement that
create both opportunities and challenges for bison restoration,
such as large scale, long term, inclusive, fulfilling, and ambitious
efforts. Sanderson et al. (2008) explored a shared vision for wild
bison restoration with 20, 50, and 100-year timelines. Specific
initiatives were not described, but a range-wide priority setting
methodology resulted in a scorecard matrix with which to
evaluate the conservation value of public and privately owned
bison herds and a map of potential restoration areas. Significant
changes in the landscape where bison once roamed are creating
possibilities for bison restoration where few existed before
(Freese et al. 2007; Sanderson et al. 2008).
8.5.5.1 United States
In the U.S., there are no specific federal efforts proposed to
protect plains bison beyond the boundaries of existing national
parks, monuments or wildlife refuges. The U.S. Forest Service
(USFS) recently conducted an assessment of its management of
national grasslands in Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South
Dakota, and Wyoming and dismissed a proposed alternative to
restore free-ranging bison (USDA Forest Service 2001).
The U.S. Secretary of the Interior recently announced a new
management framework for improving the administration
of the various bison herds on Federal Wildlife Refuges. The
strategy will consider treating the various populations as a larger
metapopulation, looking at ways to create and maintain gene
flow, as well as protecting private alleles among these small
populations by improving genetic management strategies. This
framework also committed USDOI agencies to expanding herd
size if possible, and building cooperation with partners for the
conservation of bison. In addition, comprehensive refuge plans
are being reviewed to consider the feasibility of attempting bison
restoration on large refuge landscapes, such as the Charles M.
Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
Utah just completed a reintroduction of bison into the Book Cliffs
area of East Central Utah. This is a joint effort between the State
of Utah Department of Wildlife Resources and the Ute Indian
Tribe. Bison were moved onto this land from the Ute tribal bison
herd and the Henry Mountains. These bison are legally classified
as wildlife and will be managed as a valued wildlife resource in
Utah. A herd management plan has been approved where hunting
programmes will regulate bison population size and distribution.
Public interest in wood bison restoration in Alaska has grown,
and there is widespread state, national, and international support
for restoring one or more populations in the state. There is also
support among local communities in the areas being considered
for wood bison restoration. A Wood Bison Restoration Advisory
Group comprised of representatives of various state and national
interests has recommended that Alaska pursue the reintroduction
of wood bison at the three sites, which include the Minto Flats,
Yukon Flats, and lower Innoko/Yukon River areas in interior and
western Alaska. These areas have sufficient habitat to support
from 500 to 2,000 or more bison each, depending on the location.
In 2008, wood bison were transported from Elk Island National
Park (EINP) to a temporary holding facility in Alaska, where
they are being quarantined for 2 years prior to release in the wild.
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