Have you *herd* what’s happening in Colorado?
At its November meeting, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved a dual classification for Bison as both wildlife and livestock, setting a new precedent for Buffalo conservation in the United States. What does this mean? Starting January 1st, wild Bison will receive legal protection in the state of Colorado. Our Board VP and Tribal Programs Director Dallas Gudgell testified at the CPW committee hearing, and has this to say about the landmark decision:
“We commend Colorado for doing the right thing. They want to protect the Buffalo and prevent poaching. For years, when members of the Book Cliffs herd would cross over from Utah, they would be shot immediately. The commission essentially said that you can’t start hunting until you have a viable population – so there’s all this science that needs to be done before any tags can be issued, which will be many, many years from now.”
Rocky Mountain PBS interviewed Dallas for their November 18th story CPW Approves Dual Classification for Bison, which also references recent research into how the presence of Wild Bison improves grassland ecosystems.
On the subject of the Colorado decision, Dallas continues:
“What I think for Yellowstone, is that Montana should do what Colorado is doing. Yellowstone Bison conservation should be building the herd, and at the same time, we should be rematriating on Tribal lands.”
Federal Management has failed in Buffalo conservation. It’s not holistic – the Park service is in a management silo that does not consider Buffalo’s migratory biology and overall ecological health. Tribal management, on the other hand, is a holistic management structure with the goal of overall ecological health of the GYE. Free-roaming Bison improve ecological health.”
We’ll be unpacking the Colorado decision – and what’s next for Yellowstone’s Buffalo – with Dallas in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more insights and solutions.
Watch Dallas’ testimony to the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Commission on November 13th
