[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 130 (Thursday, September 11, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S5566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 543--DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 1, 2014, AS NATIONAL BISON 
                                  DAY

  Mr. ENZI (for himself, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Portman, Mr. 
Bennet, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Markey, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Hatch, 
Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Donnelly, Ms. Baldwin, and 
Mr. Johanns) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 543

       Whereas bison are considered a historical symbol of the 
     United States;
       Whereas bison were integrally linked with the economic and 
     spiritual lives of many Indian tribes through trade and 
     sacred ceremonies;
       Whereas there are more than 60 Indian tribes participating 
     in the Intertribal Buffalo Council;
       Whereas numerous members of Indian tribes are involved in 
     bison restoration on tribal land;
       Whereas members of Indian tribes have a combined herd on 
     more than 1,000,000 acres of tribal land;
       Whereas the Intertribal Buffalo Council is a tribal 
     organization incorporated pursuant to section 17 of the Act 
     of June 18, 1934 (commonly known as ``Indian Reorganization 
     Act'') (25 U.S.C. 477);
       Whereas bison can play an important role in improving the 
     types of grasses found in landscapes to the benefit of 
     grasslands;
       Whereas a bison has been depicted on the official seal of 
     the Department of the Interior since 1912;
       Whereas bison hold significant economic value for private 
     producers and rural communities;
       Whereas, as of 2012, the United States Department of 
     Agriculture estimates that 162,110 head of bison were under 
     the stewardship of private producers, creating jobs and 
     contributing to the food security of the United States by 
     providing a sustainable and healthy meat source;
       Whereas a bison is portrayed on 2 State flags;
       Whereas the bison has been adopted by 3 States as the 
     official mammal or animal of those States;
       Whereas the buffalo nickel played an important role in 
     modernizing the currency of the United States;
       Whereas several sports teams have the bison as a mascot, 
     which highlights the iconic significance of bison in the 
     United States;
       Whereas on December 8, 1905, William Hornaday, Theodore 
     Roosevelt, and others formed the American Bison Society in 
     response to the near extinction of bison in the United 
     States;
       Whereas on October 11, 1907, the American Bison Society 
     sent 15 bison to the first big game refuge in the United 
     States, which was known as the ``Wichita Reserve Bison 
     Refuge'';
       Whereas in 2005, the American Bison Society was 
     reestablished, bringing together bison ranchers, managers 
     from Indian tribes, Federal and State agencies, conservation 
     organizations, and natural and social scientists from the 
     United States, Canada, and Mexico to create a vision for the 
     North American bison in the 21st century;
       Whereas there are bison herds in National Wildlife Refuges 
     and National Parks;
       Whereas there are bison in State-managed herds across 11 
     States;
       Whereas there is a growing effort to celebrate and 
     officially recognize the historical, cultural, and economic 
     significance of the North American bison to the heritage of 
     the United States; and
       Whereas members of Indian tribes, bison producers, 
     conservationists, sportsmen, educators, and other public and 
     private partners have participated in the annual National 
     Bison Day since 2012 and are committed to continuing this 
     tradition annually on the first Saturday of November: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates November 1, 2014, the first Saturday of 
     November, as National Bison Day; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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