United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-03-20 monographic deposited born digital 14 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-638T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-638T P0b002ee180381c6d f:d07638t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-638T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-638T GAO-07-638T Animal diseases Cattle Conservation easements Disease control Federal/state relations Grazing rights Land management Livestock National parks Program evaluation Public lands Wildlife Wildlife conservation Wildlife management Disease transmission Program implementation Interagency Bison Management Plan Montana Yellowstone National Park (WY) Testimony A67026 Yellowstone National Park, in northwest Wyoming, is home to a herd of about 3,600 free-roaming bison. Some of these bison routinely attempt to migrate from the park in the winter. Livestock owners and public officials in states bordering the park have concerns about the bison leaving the park because many are infected with brucellosis--a contagious bacterial disease that some fear could be transmitted to cattle, thus potentially threatening the economic health of the states' livestock industry. Other interested groups believe that the bison should be allowed to roam freely both within and outside the park. In an effort to address these concerns, five federal and Montana state agencies agreed to an Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) in December 2000 that includes three main steps to "maintain a wild, free-ranging population of bison and address the risk of brucellosis transmission to protect the economic interest and viability of the livestock industry in Montana." This testimony discusses GAO's preliminary observations on the progress that has been made in implementing the IBMP and the extent to which bison have access to lands and an easement acquired for $13 million in federal funds. It is based on GAO's visit to the greater Yellowstone area, interviews with federal and state officials and other interested stakeholders, and review of related documents. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-638T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-638T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-638T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-638T.pdf GAO-07-638T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-638T Testimony GAO-07-638T; Yellowstone National Park: Preliminary Observations on the Implementation of the Interagency Bison Management Plan; Animal diseases Cattle Conservation easements Disease control Federal/state relations Grazing rights Land management Livestock National parks Program evaluation Public lands Wildlife Wildlife conservation Wildlife management Disease transmission Program implementation Interagency Bison Management Plan Montana Yellowstone National Park (WY) Volume 78 Page 897 78 Stat. 897 Public Law 88-578