Buffalo Allies of Bozeman

Buffalo Allies of Bozeman Meeting Notes
July 2, 2008 at 7 PM
Montana State University Student Union Building (2nd floor cafeteria – NW corner)

Facilitator: Chris
Attendees: 4

Updates
Group discussed:
1. Outcome of Monday panel discussion at the Library
2. Farmer's Market Tabling
3. Protest at Mammoth on July 26th

Reports From Working Groups
1. Media/Outreach:
Having a workshop and/or a table at the Bioneers Conference in October was discussed. Costs and table dimensions will be determined.
We also brainstormed some BAB logo ideas, and a member will bring proposals to a future meeting.
There was discussion about the regularity of BAB potlucks.

2. Cooperation/Support:
We discussed logistical and member support of the July 26th protest at Mammoth. We will look into designing and screenprinting t-shirts for the protesters, and a carpool for the event will be organized.

Proposals
1. Consensus was met to hold a table or workshop (or both) at the Bioneers Conference if available
2. Consensus was met to hold BAB potlucks on the last Sunday of every month at 7PM - Cooper Park while it's warm and dry.

Announcements
Next Meeting:

editor's introduction: Julie Lehman has written a provocative essay that could raise a challenge not only to friends of the livestock industry but also to wildlife advocates as well. She argues that we should take down some of the abstract barriers that have us see buffalo and cows as fundamentally different kinds of beings.

And once we start murdering buffalo in order to protect the ranchers' rights to cows whose selfhood has been utterly devalued, we begin to see that rather than being enemies, the cow and the buffalo have the solidarity of being pawns in a system which doesn't value either of them, except as property, or as obstacles to the maximizing of property.

People scattered across the four winds are planning a protest in Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park (across from the visitor center) on Saturday, July 26, at 10 AM (until 6 PM) to protest the National Park Service's role in the hazing and slaughter of bison.

This is not being organized by an established group - simply concerned people - who care about what's happening.

Buffalo Allies of Bozeman is offering full support.

They are calling people to wear shirts or bring signs showing displeasure with buffalo policy. The event will feature a banner protesting the atrocity.

As many people as can attend are being encouraged to come.

Appearing in today's Missoulian, Billings Gazette, and Helena Independent Record, Lee Newspapers reporter Jennifer McKee misrepresented the press release of Buffalo Allies of Bozeman.

I wrote the following letter to McKee in response.

Ms. McKee,

I am writing on behalf of myself and not the group I am a member of - Buffalo Allies of Bozeman - regarding your article today that appeared in some newspapers on the brucellosis issue as it relates to corriente roping cattle. Though I am writing for myself alone, I am quoted in the press release that we sent out, and I helped edit and distribute the release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chris Klatt
406-599-3629
lodgepole@riseup.net
June 12, 2008

(Bozeman, Mont.) – The grassroots citizens group Buffalo Allies of Bozeman responded to the Monday announcement of brucellosis in a cattle herd in the Paradise Valley with a challenge to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer to withdraw from the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP).

This editorial is written by Jim Bailey, a board member of the Gallatin Wildlife Association and a retired biologist. We have printed this with his permission.

Violating Yellowstone Policy

With all the furor over slaughter of 1600 bison from Yellowstone National Park, we are overlooking a serious issue. The Interagency Bison Management Plan and Yellowstone Superintendent Lewis are violating mandates and policies of the National Park Service.

Congress mandates retaining Park resources “in their natural conditions” and leaving them “unimpaired for future generations.” Park Service policy is to “maintain processes of naturally evolving ecosystems” and to minimize “human interference with evolving genetic diversity.”

It is likely that genetic diversity of the Park’s bison was lost to slaughtering in 2008. Moreover, natural selection has largely been replaced by human intervention. Coevolution of the Park’s animals, plants and microorganisms has been sidetracked, along with bison adaptation to their physical environment.

sent out by member Glenn Hockett. Update: Unfortunately, we have confirmed that the nine bulls have been sent to slaughter. All the same, please let these officials know your extreme displeasure at the breaking of the promise that the slaughter was over for the season.

All:

YOUR URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED: Nine trophy Montana bull bison are currently captured and being held in the Duck Creek bison trap, located just outside of Yellowstone's western boundary. The Department of Livestock says they intend to truck these wild Montana bull bison to slaughter soon.

Over 1600 bison have been removed from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem this winter/spring due to inadequate habitat planning by the governor of Montana and the various interagency bison management planning members that carry out his adopted PLAN. The current PLAN is nothing more than a license to eradicate free ranging wild bison from Montana. It is time to stop the B.S. and demand common sense action.

This is a letter (download the .doc file) of support for the 2009 Montana Wild Buffalo Recovery and Conservation Act (draft pdf - see also attachments listed at the bottom of this), supported by our ally, the Gallatin Wildlife Association, that they plan to push in the Montana legislature in 2009. Please consider sending some form of this letter, as discussed below.

To Whom It May Concern:

Late yesterday afternoon, there were thousands of people waiting to see Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama speak in Bozeman.

Knowing that a few days in advance, I created the flyer shown in the picture, which you can also download as a pdf. Because the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) has three federal agencies as its partners, it was fitting that we try to convince people who are supporting the man who might be the next president, to do something about the buffalo in part by pulling the federal government's support for this terrible plan.

I couldn't have possibly created enough flyers. They went out of my hands so fast as people waited in line to enter the event.

(download pdf flyer)
Join Buffalo Allies of Bozeman for a discussion and presentation on ways residents in the Gallatin Valley can help Yellowstone's buffalo.

The event is at the Bozeman Public Library (E. Main Street) at 6:30PM, Monday, June 30 and will feature state representative Mike Phillips and other presenters who will be discussing the various advocacy tools available to this region's supporters of wild buffalo.

Besides moving through legislation - for instance, Phillips will be talking about the bill to be put forward by the Gallatin Wildlife Association that would respect bison as wildlife in Montana - we will be talking about myriad other ways that residents here can participate directly in making change.