Petition to List the Yellowstone Bison as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act Western Watersheds Project & Buffalo Field Campaign In the Office of Endangered Species U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service United States Department of Interior November 13, 2014 Petition to List the Yellowstone Bison as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act Western Watersheds Project & Buffalo Field Campaign Table of Contents Petitioners ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Petition History ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Biology and Natural History........................................................................................................................... 8 Taxonomy ............................................................................................................................................. 8 Description ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Distribution ..........................................................................................................................................10 Bison Genetics & Cattle-Gene Introgression .......................................................................................11 Life History ..........................................................................................................................................14 History of Bison in Yellowstone National Park ...................................................................................15 Yellowstone Bison Metapopulation Range and Movement Patterns ...................................................15 Population Estimates and Status ..........................................................................................................20 The Yellowstone Bison Are a Distinct Population Segment of Plains Bison ................................................24 The Yellowstone Bison Meet the Criteria for Discreteness ......................................................................25 Physical and Geographic Isolation .......................................................................................................25 Physiological Isolation .........................................................................................................................27 The Yellowstone Bison Meet the Criteria for Significance ......................................................................28 Persistence of the Discrete Population Segment in an Ecological Setting Unusual or Unique for the Taxon ...................................................................................................................................................28 Loss of the Discrete Population Segment Would Result in a Significant Gap in the Range of a Taxon .............................................................................................................................................................29 The Discrete Population Segment Represents the Only Surviving Natural Occurrence of a Taxon that May Be More Abundant Elsewhere as an Introduced Population Outside its Historic Range ............29 The Discrete Population Segment Differs Markedly From Other Populations of the Species in its Genetic Characteristics ........................................................................................................................30 The Discrete Population Segment Differs Markedly From Other Populations of the Species in its Behavioral Characteristics ...................................................................................................................30 Threats ...........................................................................................................................................................32 The Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment of its Habitat or Range. ..............32 Range Curtailment ...............................................................................................................................32 Livestock Grazing ................................................................................................................................33 Development and Infrastructure ...........................................................................................................34 Invasive Species ...................................................................................................................................35 Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or Educational Purposes. ...............................36 Hunting ................................................................................................................................................36 Disease or Predation. ................................................................................................................................37 Predation ..............................................................................................................................................37 Disease .................................................................................................................................................37 Hemorrhagic Septicemia ......................................................................................................................37 Malignant Catarrhal Fever ...................................................................................................................38 Brucellosis ...........................................................................................................................................38 Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms. .....................................................................................40 Other Natural or Manmade Factors Affecting its Continued Existence. ..................................................45 Genomic Extinction .............................................................................................................................45 Petition to List the Yellowstone Bison 1 Climate Change ....................................................................................................................................47 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................................48 Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................................48 Literature Cited ..............................................................................................................................................49 Tables Table 1: Comparison of Plains and Wood Bison Morphology. ..................................................................... 9 Table 2: Cattle-gene Introgression in Four Plains Bison Herds. ...................................................................13 Table 3: Recent Aerial Counts of Yellowstone Bison. .................................................................................22 Figures Figure 1: Historic and Current Range of the Yellowstone Bison. ................................................................11 Figure 2: Yellowstone Bison Population Trends 1936-1968. .......................................................................21 Figure 3: Yellowstone Bison Population Trends 1984-2011. .......................................................................21 Figure 4: Forest Service and BLM Livestock Grazing Allotments in Yellowstone Bison Habitat. .............33 Petition to List the Yellowstone Bison 2 Petitioners Western Watersheds Project is a regional conservation organization with offices in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming. The mission of Western Watersheds Project is to protect and restore watersheds and wildlife habitats on the nation’s public lands through education, scientific study, public policy initiatives, and litigation. Contact Information: Travis Bruner Executive Director Western Watersheds Project P.O. Box 1770 Hailey, ID 83333 (208) 788-2290 <[email protected]> Buffalo Field Campaign is a regional conservation organization with offices in Montana. The mission of Buffalo Field Campaign is to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone’s wild buffalo herd, protect the natural habitat of wild free-roaming buffalo and native wildlife, and to work with people of all Nations to honor the sacredness of the wild buffalo. Contact Information: Daniel Brister Executive Director Buffalo Field Campaign P.O. Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 (406) 646-0070 <[email protected]> Please use the following address for technical correspondence regarding this petition: Michael J. Connor, Ph.D. Western Watersheds Project P.O. Box 2364 Reseda, CA 91335 (818) 345-0425 <[email protected]> Petition to List the Yellowstone Bison 3 Summary