Park Service Seeks Bison Comments

The National Park Service is seeking public comment regarding a plan to consider a quarantine program for Yellowstone bison at one or more new quarantine facilities, which could be located within Yellowstone National Park, on tribal lands, or elsewhere.

The purpose of a quarantine program would be to remove bison from the Yellowstone population and make brucellosis-free bison available to augment or establish new tribal and public populations of bison. The program would assist in the conservation of the species, support the culture and nutrition of Native Americans, and reduce the number of Yellowstone bison that are shipped to processing facilities.

The public is encouraged to attend one of the following public meetings to learn more about the proposed planning effort:

- Monday, August 18 in Gardiner, Mont.: Yellowstone Association Headquarters, 308 Park Street

- Tuesday, August 19 in Bozeman, Mont.: Homewood Suites, 1023 E. Baxter Lane

Both presentation-style meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. and are scheduled to conclude by 8:00 p.m.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) will be prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

Comments may be submitted on-line at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BisonQuarantine, hand-delivered during normal business hours to the mailroom in the park’s Administration Building in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, at one of the public scoping meetings or mailed to: Compliance Office, Attn: Yellowstone Bison Quarantine EA, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190.

Comments will not be accepted by fax, e-mail, or in any other way than those specified above. All comments must be received by midnight MDT, September 12, 2014.