Errol Rice - February 12, 2009
Montana Stockgrowers Association
Brucellosis Management
My name is Errol Rice and I am the executive vice president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. Our organization continues to work diligently on the topic of brucellosis management. For our efforts, we have been criticized by some, particularly for our position on management of potentially brucellosis-infected bison when they leave the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. The Interagency Bison Management Plan partners’ recent "adaptive management" decision to allow an unlimited number of untested bison to inhabit the Horse Butte area near West Yellowstone until very late in the spring, just before cattle will be coming into the surrounding area is of concern to all Montana ranchers.
Many have argued against Stockgrowers that wild buffalo have never transmitted brucellosis to cattle in a natural setting. This is true, we believe thanks in large part to the efforts of the IBMP—the Interagency Bison Management Plan—before the partner agencies decided to relax the management protocols. Even though the plan has thus far prevented a brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle, and the partners claim that the decision to allow an unlimited number of potentially brucellosis-infected bison to occupy Horse Butte, where no cattle graze at any point during the year, will not increase risk, we are not convinced. We feel that by allowing bison to migrate further into Montana and occupy the land for an extended period of time, the IBMP partners are conducting a risky experiment that ignores the potential impact brucellosis-infected bison will have on the ecosystem. Due to the increased area bison will be allowed to inhabit during critical times of the year when they are most likely to abort or calve, it is likely that brucellosis will be spread farther and farther into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and may eventually find its way to Montana’s cattle herd as has happened twice in the past two years through elk.
Let me explain…Brucellosis is a serious and tricky disease because it can infect, and be passed on by a variety of animals. Bison, cattle and elk can become infected with the disease and pass it on in their own herds, or to other species. Brucellosis is also tricky because it can persist in the environment. According to recent studies, the brucella bacteria can survive in the Greater Yellowstone environment for up to 26 days in May. Birds and scavengers such as coyotes or others can transport brucellosis-laden tissues from abortive or birthing events from miles away according to the study.
Brucellosis is significant because people can become infected, and accordingly, has been highly regulated in cattle by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 1934. Today, any cattle herd that is discovered to have even just one cow with brucellosis must be entirely lethally depopulated—every single cow, bull and calf euthanized—for the state to retain its brucellosis Class Free status. A rancher's entire livelihood can be destroyed by the discovery of brucellosis in his herd and the disease can take a multi-million dollar toll on the entire industry in a state as we have seen with the recent loss of our Class Free status.
In 2008, the USDA declared that brucellosis had been eradicated from the entire U.S. cattle herd. However, cases continue to pop up in the Greater Yellowstone Area when cattle are infected by wildlife. YNP bison have demonstrated a brucellosis seroprevalence rate of 40-60% for the past 20 years according to the Park's data. It seems the bison have passed the disease on to elk which migrate even greater distances and are more likely to come into contact with cattle.
We believe the potential impacts of expanding the range of brucellosis-infected bison must be addressed through a Montana and National Environmental Policy Act process. MSGA has supported the process of development and the bison-cattle compromises of the IBMP since the beginning; however, the IBMP partners have made fundamental changes to the plan without regard for the impact of expanded bison range on the health of the ecosystem.
The Yellowstone bison are the epicenter of our brucellosis crisis and we cannot ignore the role bison play in maintaining and spreading brucellosis. We have a serious disease problem in Yellowstone right now and the right course of action is to work to reduce the disease prevalence, not to expand the disease further into the ecosystem surrounding Yellowstone National Park.
One thing is for sure; Montana cannot afford to take ranchers out of the equation when it comes to issues of wildlife conservation, as was attempted in a recent bill relating to bison management. Ranchers play—and will continue to play—a critical role in the conservation of wildlife species. Our stewardship of the land provides habitat for over 80% of the wildlife in the state—a role we take very seriously. The Montana Stockgrowers Association has been working in partnership with Montana State University and the Bureau of Land Management through a federal research grant to continue the efforts of previous generations through a unique program we call UNDAUNTED STEWARDSHIP®, which strives to establish a balance between land productivity, grazing, preservation and recreational use. To date, over 1 million deeded, private lease, BLM, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Forest Service and state-owned acres are managed under guidelines set forth by the UNDAUNTED STEWARDSHIP® program. For over 100 years, ranchers have been preserving, enhancing and improving the land for the sustainability of our ranches and the benefit of wildlife, open space and the Montanans who enjoy these great resources of our state. As the “undaunted stewards” of Montana’s lands, we look forward to continuing our work for the next 100 years.
|
|
