The National Park Service finalized its plan last week to allow Yellowstone National Park’s bison population to expand to 6,000 animals — a move that had already inspired a threat of litigation from Montana’s governor.
The record of decision outlines how the park service, which has sole authority to manage bison within the park, will managing the Great Plains keystone species that also play an important role in Native American traditions. The plan will prioritize transfer of bison to tribal lands and calls for maintaining a population in a range between 3,500 to 6,000.
NPS also says agency officials will continue to work with the state, private land-owners, and tribes to coordinate the extent of the harvest outside of the park.
“We’ve tried to strike a balance, listen to various stakeholders, cooperating agencies, tribes, the general public, to come up with a balanced plan that’s by far not perfect,” said Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly in an interview with KBZK.
