II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 745

To require the National Park Service to eradicate brucellosis afflicting the

bison in Yellowstone National Park, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 3 (legislative day, MAY 1), 1995

Mr. BURNS (for himself, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. THOMAS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To require the National Park Service to eradicate brucellosis

afflicting the bison in Yellowstone National Park, and

for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK BISON.

4 (a) TESTING, CULLING, VACCINATION, AND RELOCA5 TION.—The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the

6 Director of the National Park Service, shall—

7 (1) perform a blood test of each bison in the

8 herd inhabiting Yellowstone National Park for bru9 cellosis;
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1 (2) in consultation with the Secretary of Agri2 culture, acting through the Administrator of the

3 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the

4 State Veterinarians of the States of Idaho, Montana,

5 and Wyoming, vaccinate and restrain under quar6 antine restrictions each bison that tests negative for

7 brucellosis in accordance with a protocol established

8 under the law of the States of Idaho, Montana, and

9 Wyoming, to prevent transmission of brucellosis to

10 susceptible animals;

11 (3)(A) slaughter or neuter each bison that tests

12 positive for brucellosis, each bison that cannot be

13 tested, and each bison that tests negative but cannot

14 be restrained under quarantine restriction; and

15 (B) make the carcass or neutered bison avail16 able for use by Indian tribes and other suitable re17 cipients;

18 (4) engage the services of a team of independ19 ent range scientists to determine the optimum popu20 lation of bison that the land available for the herd

21 in Yellowstone National Park is capable of sustain22 ing;

23 (5) in consultation with the Secretary of the In24 terior, appropriate officials of Indian tribes, the

25 States of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and other
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1 interested parties, identify locations outside the Park

2 that would be suitable for sustaining herds of bison

3 created from any excess number of bison in the Yel4 lowstone herd that are certified as being free of bru5 cellosis, in accordance with standards established

6 under the law of the States of Idaho, Montana, and

7 Wyoming; and

8 (6) after brucellosis has been eradicated, con9 tinue to reduce the population of the Yellowstone

10 herd to a number that is approximately 500 below

11 the optimum population by transferring the excess

12 number of bison to locations identified under para13 graph (5).

14 (b) TIME FOR ACTION.—The Secretary of the Inte15 rior shall—

16 (1) initiate action under subsection (a) as soon

17 as practicable, and in any event not later than De18 cember 31, 1995; and

19 (2) complete all of the actions required by sub20 section (a) not later than December 31, 1998.

21 (c) NO SURPLUS BISON.—After December 31, 1998,

22 the Secretary of the Interior shall take all action necessary

23 to ensure that the number of bison in the Yellowstone herd
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1 does not exceed the optimum population determined under

2 subsection (a)(4).

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