| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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| News
Article 2/17/05 |
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| Norton
says change will take time
By Scott McMillion, Chronicle Staff Writer
2/17/05 |
WEST
YELLOWSTONE -- People looking for big changes
in bison management, delisting of the wolf or changes
in the Endangered Species Act should bide their time,
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton said Wednesday in
an interview.
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer recently proposed a bison
plan that would remove all the shaggy giants from the
park and eventually replace them with brucellosis-free
animals.
"I think that one would be hard to explain to people
in the rest of the country," Norton said.
Removal of wolves from the list of species protected by
the Endangered Species Act is also well in the future,
although the wolves are doing fine in Montana, Idaho and
Wyoming.
Wyoming and the federal government are tied up in a lawsuit
that has delayed delisting in all three states. That has
led some in Montana to call for decoupling Montana and
Idaho from Wyoming.
Norton said that isn't likely to happen, especially given
a recent court ruling in Oregon that says removing protections
must wait until wolves have broader distribution beyond
the three states.
The ruling could also have an impact on the proposed delisting
of grizzly bears in and near Yellowstone National Park,
she said.
Some members of Congress, including Rep. Denny Rehberg,
R-Mont., have called for reform of the ESA. Norton said
that job will be led by Congress.
"We don't anticipate having an administration proposal
for changing the Endangered Species Act," she said.
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