New Buffalo Policy Leads to Illegal Killings

According to Montana officials, at least two Yellowstone buffalo have been found shot to death outside of park boundaries, and a third buffalo has died under suspicious circumstances.

These killing have occurred only a week after Montana officials made the decision to allow Yellowstone buffalo to migrate outside of the park and into Montana. Local ranchers, who fear that Bison will transmit the disease brucellosis to cattle, have protested the decision and are at the heart of local outrage over the decision.

The issue with Yellowstone bison underscores the unresolved problem of human-wildlife interaction and the conflict which exists surrounding wildlife management decisions. What's more, the debate over the issue brings to light the struggle of local communities with federal land managers, who function under distinctly different directives.

In the West, federal land remains a massive section of the total land area. As federal management plans develop around wildlife and habitat protection, local communities which exist on the fringe of federal land areas will continue to see conflicts arise over how the land is managed. Forest Service land has progressively moved away from timber harvesting and toward recreation and habitat protection. National Parks continue to operate under the goal of preserving habitat and completely prohibiting development. Unlike timber or mineral resources, however, wildlife moves at will. Federal land managers can not simply erect a wall around parks and national forests to keep animals in. What's more, many forests and parks were not designed to accommodate wildlife movement and migration, putting important migration routes into public hands.

This dynamic is on full display in Montana. As private land owners continue to manage their land in a way which conflicts with federal wildlife policy goals, conflict will continue unabated. Unless private land owners can work with federal land managers, lawsuits will undoubtedly be filed and it will be left to the courts to determine the fate of the Yellowstone bison.