TOM MANGELSEN TOM AMERICAN BISON A SPECIES OF CONSERVATION CONCERN JULIA DAVIS JULIA CONTENTS SIGNATORY LETTER BUFFALO FIELD Ken Cole, executive director CAMPAIGN REPORT Buffalo Field Campaign DESIGNER Steven King EXECUTIVE SUMMARY creative direction + designer Executive summary supporting an evaluation www.krop.com/steven-king/ and listing of American Bison as a species of email: [email protected] conservation concern in Region 1. REPORT AND RATIONALE Chapter 1 1-6 Chapter 7 16-17 Chapter 2 7-8 Chapter 8 18-19 Chapter 3 9-10 Chapter 9 20-21 Chapter 4 11-12 Chapter 10 22-24 Chapter 5 13 Chapter 11 25-27 Chapter 6 14-15 Chapter 12 28-29 SOURCES Detailed source pages 30-38 March 5, 2018 Leanne M. Marten, Regional Forester Mary C. Erickson, Forest Supervisor Region 1, U.S. Forest Service Custer Gallatin National Forest 26 Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804 PO Box 130, Bozeman, MT 59771 (406) 329-3315 phone - (406) 329-3411 fax (406) 587-6949 phone - (406) 587-6758 fax [email protected] [email protected] Re: Comment draft plan - CGNF We are asking the Regional Forester and the Custer Gallatin National Forest to continue evaluating and Dear Regional Forester Leanne M. Marten and list wild bison as a species of conservation concern Forest Supervisor Mary C. Erickson, in Region 1. We, the undersigned, are writing you to present our In evaluating whether bison meet the criteria of a case that American bison meet the National Forest species of conservation concern, the National Forest planning rule criteria of and should be listed as a planning rule requires the Custer Gallatin to rely species of conservation concern in Region 1. upon the most accurate, reliable, and relevant information, and make your decision based on the There is broad tribal, public, and local support for best available science that is transparent to the the Custer Gallatin to use your National Forest public. The Custer Gallatin has not done so. planning rule to benefit wild bison, and provide habitat to meet the long-term viability concerns the The presumptive decision already made rests on an public has raised for this iconic keystone species. uninformed assessment and falls short of National The Custer Gallatin must also heed the U.S. Con- Forest planning rule requirements for landscape gress’s mandate to provide native bison diversity in linkages, habitat connectivity, wild bison diversity the new forest plan. and persistence. If adaptive management is guiding forest planning, then a new decision can and should The Custer Gallatin’s proposed action for bison is be made based on substantial information that the unreasonable and unacceptable. Human threats action is warranted. and stressors continue to jeopardize the viability of America’s only intact population of wild The Custer Gallatin has acknowledged receiving American bison to continuously inhabit their hundreds of letters in support of evaluating and original range in the lower 48 states. We call upon listing migratory bison as a species of conservation the Custer Gallatin to uphold your trust obligation concern. More than twelve hundred people to American Indian Nations and the American submitted their support online. Based on what people, and use your legal authority to ensure the we heard during the Custer Gallatin’s planning future legacy of wild migratory bison persists within meetings, there is a broad section of people who the plan area. want to see wild bison persist as a viable native species within the plan area. The best available scientific information does not support the conclusions made in the Custer Please consider the best available scientific information Gallatin’s final draft assessment, and Supervisor presented in our report and rationale in support Mary Erickson’s decision, to stop evaluating of continuing the public process for evaluating wild bison as a potential species of conservation and listing wild bison as a species of conservation concern and remove the native species from concern in Region 1. further consideration. Sincerely, Managing for the removal of wild bison genetic diversity is codified in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho law, and there is no regulatory mechanism in place to ensure wild bison persist within the Ken Cole, executive director plan area in Region 1 or on National Forests in Buffalo Field Campaign Region 2 and Region 4. PO Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 Chief Stanley C. Grier Chairman Brandon Sazue, Sr. Chief of the Piikani Nation Crow Creek Sioux Tribe (Hunkpati Oyate) President of the Blackfoot Confederacy Chiefs PO Box 50 PO Box 70 Fort Thompson, South Dakota 57339 Brocket, Alberta T0K 0H0 James Holt David Bearshield Buffalo Field Campaign Board Member Chairman Nez Perce Tribal Member GOAL Tribal Coalition PO Box 107 100 24th Street W., Suite 1 Lapwai, Idaho 83540 Billings, Montana 59102 Noah Greenwald Ronald Hunter Endangered Species Director Activism Manager Center for Biological Diversity Patagonia Inc. PO Box 11374 8550 White Fir Street Portland, Oregon 97211 Reno, Nevada 89523 Wendy Keefover Bonnie Rice Native Carnivore Protection Manager Senior Campaign Representative The Humane Society of the United States Our Wild America Campaign 1255 23rd Street, NW, Ste. 450 Sierra Club Washington, District of Columbia 20037 424 E. Main Street, Suite 203C Bozeman, Montana 59715 Marla Fox Erik Molvar Rewilding Attorney Executive Director WildEarth Guardians Western Watersheds Project 80 SE Madison St., Suite 210 PO Box 1770 Portland, Oregon 97214 Hailey, Idaho 83333 Nathan Varley Joseph Gutkoski President President Bear Creek Council Yellowstone Buffalo Foundation PO Box 448 304 N. 18th Avenue Gardiner, Montana 59030 Bozeman, Montana 59715 Nathan Varley Mike Garrity Owner Executive Director Yellowstone Reports Alliance for the Wild Rockies PO Box 769 PO Box 505 Gardiner, Montana 59030 Helena, Montana 59624 Mr. Glenn Hockett John Meyer President Executive Director Gallatin Wildlife Association Cottonwood Environmental Law Center PO Box 5317 PO Box 412 Bozeman, Montana 59717 Bozeman, Montana 59771 Gene Bernofsky Matthew Koehler President Director World Wide Film Expedition Wildwest Institute 243 Mount Avenue PO Box 7998 Missoula, Montana 59801 Missoula, Montana 59802 Shannon Donahue Heath N Carey Executive Director Owner Great Bear Foundation Nourishing Cultures PO Box 9383 2825 Stockyard Road, Suite C2 Missoula, Montana 59807 Missoula, Montana 59808 Larry Campbell KC York Conservation Director President Friends of the Bitterroot Trap Free Montana Public Lands, Inc. PO Box 442 PO Box 1347 Hamilton, Montana 59840 Hamilton, Montana 59840 Marc Cooke Michael Harris President Director, Wildlife Law Program Wolves of the Rockies Friends of Animals 3427 Rome Lane 7500 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 385 Stevensville, Montana 59870 Centennial, Colorado 80112 Deanna Meyer Karel and Alice Starek Executive Director Owners Prairie Protection Colorado The Golden Hoof LLC PO Box 497 3375 N. 75TH St Sedalia, Colorado 80135 Boulder, Colorado 80301 Northern Colorado Prairie Dog Advocates Ginger Kathrens 3732 Mead Street Executive Director Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 The Cloud Foundation 107 South 7th Street Colorado Springs, Colorado 80905 Ms. Paula Ozzello Ms. Paula Ozzello Heart of the Wild Yellowstone Community Southern Colorado Environmental Council 618 East Godding Avenue 618 East Godding Avenue Trinidad, Colorado 81082 Trinidad, Colorado 81082 Mr. Thomas Johnston Paul Bird Spotted Eagle Land Surveying President 578 Sparrow Cr. The PathWalker Group Pagosa Springs, Colorado 81147 8372 N. Rocky Brook Dr. Tucson, Arizona 85743 Clem Wilkes Laura Leigh Business Manager President One Road Foundation, Inc. Wild Horse Education PO Box 787 216 Lemmon Dr., Suite 316 Ribera, New Mexico 87560 Reno, Nevada 89506 Bettina Rosmarino Mr. Stevie Sugarman CFO Earth Evolution J&B Partners PO Box 923 428 W. Ave .44 Malibu, California 90265 Los Angeles, California 90065 Mr. Alex Kleinman Susan Draffan Claremont Students for Animals Owner 170 E. Sixth Street Shining Spirits Claremont, California 91711 PO Box 1262 Ojai, California 93024 Matthew Simmons Mr. Alfredo Kuba COO Defend Animals Coalition Lockwood Animal Rescue Center 500 W. Middlefield Rd., Apt. 178 PO Box 1510 Mountain View, California 94043 Frazier Park, California 93225 Edward Loosli Thomas Wheeler President Executive Director The Wildlife Trust Environmental Protection Information Center 120 La Bolsa Road 145 G. St., Suite A Walnut Creek, California 94598 Arcata, California 95521 Kimberly Baker Charles Swift Executive Director CEO Klamath Forest Alliance 4M Consulting PO Box 21 21464 Consolation St. Orleans, California 95556 Volcano, California 95689 Bro Mark Schroeder OFM Denise Boggs Animator Director Franciscans for Justice Conservation Congress 1112 26th St. 2150 Nord Ave. Sacramento, California 95816 Chico, California 95926 Jesse Bolin Paula Hood Sacred Guardian of Bison Nation Co-Director Local Circle ::: Global Vision Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project General Delivery 5622 NE 7th Ave. Nevada City, California 95959 Portland, Oregon 97211 Charles McSweeney Wally Sykes Owner Co-Founder Pine Cone Books, Etc. Northeast Oregon Ecosystems PO Box 2018, 139 S. Redwood Hwy. PO Box 733 Cave Junction, Oregon 97523 Joseph, Oregon 97846 Bob Anderlik Cheryl Ananda President Secretary Animal Advocates of the Inland Northwest Texas Metro Wildlife Rehabilitators PO Box 493 911 Sterling Ln. Liberty Lake, Washington 99019 Crowley, Texas 76036 Pinckney Wood Kent Lebsock President Programs Administrator Humane Heart (Health, Education,