Horse Butte Sign On Letter- Just Cut & Paste into your email.

This winter, the Montana Department of Livestock has conducted bison hazing operations that have so far led to the capture of 107 wild bison on Horse Butte and their subsequent shipment to slaughter.

I am writing to request that you cease any such operations on Horse Butte unless and until you have completed a supplemental environmental review to evaluate the impacts of, and alternatives to, such invasive and destructive actions in light of changed circumstances on Horse Butte peninsula.

As you are aware, cattle grazing has been entirely eliminated on Horse Butte, a 9,600 acre peninsula of mainly National Forest lands that is critical wildlife habitat for migrating bison.

In 2002, the U.S. Forest Service's Horse Butte cattle grazing allotment was enjoined by court order until a proper environmental review was completed.

Subsequently, the Munns brothers agreed to a buy-out of their allotment and sold their ranch on Horse Butte to Rob and Janae Galanis. The Galanis family has ceased grazing cattle and declared their land a Yellowstone Ranch Preserve, and a sanctuary for bison to graze in peace. 

Accordingly, there are no cattle grazing operations remaining on the entire Horse Butte Peninsula from the Yellowstone National Park boundary west to the shorelines bounding Hebgen Lake. 

Recently, you received a letter from local, Horse Butte residents expressing their support for sharing the landscape and co-existing with wild bison where they live.

The elimination of cattle grazing, and local neighborhood support for wild bison, creates an opportunity to allow wild bison to migrate to and occupy critical winter range and spring calving habitat on Horse Butte Peninsula.

This new opportunity, created by changed circumstances on the landscape, should inform the "adaptive management" changes your agency can take today to allow wild bison to migrate to and occupy habitat on Horse Butte.

There is no longer any justification for persisting with invasive actions to harass, trap and kill wild bison where cattle do not graze. 

There is no more continuing justification for the substantial expenditure of taxpayer funds required to haze, trap and slaughter bison on Horse Butte.

There is local, neighborhood support for letting bison roam on Horse Butte.

Please advise me of your response to this request as soon as possible so that I may consider what additional actions may become necessary to ensure that your agency complies with environmental laws.

Sincerely,