10,000 acres of primarily Gallatin National Forest 
Federal lands extending into Hebgen Lake. 
(9) National Park Service lands have been set 
aside for the conservation of resources and values 
and for the enjoyment and use of all citizens. The 
Federal lands adjacent to the Park represent some 
of the most valuable and important wildlife habitat 
in the lower forty-eight states. They are integrally 
connected to the health of wildlife residing season-
ally in our Nation’s oldest national park. Together, 
the Park and the adjacent Federal lands provide 
some of our Nation’s richest opportunities for recre-
ation, wildlife viewing, family camping, wildlife con-
servation, fishing, and other recreational and sport-
ing activities. These Federal lands should be pref-
erentially managed to sustain this rich and diverse 
wildlife resource and to provide the public with en-
joyment of this National treasure. 
(c) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide 
for the protection of the Yellowstone buffalo herd by allow-
ing the Yellowstone buffalo herd to freely roam Federal 
lands outside of the Park. The Federal lands that are af-
fected by this Act are those within the Park and adjacent 
to it on the north and west boundaries as indicated by 
zones 2 and 3 on the Modified Preferred Alternative Map
on page 181 of the 2000 Bison Management Plan for the 
State of Montana and Yellowstone National Park Final 
Environmental Impact Statement. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, 
the following definitions apply: 
(1) HAZING.—The term ‘‘hazing’’ means any 
individual effort to drive away, obstruct, chase, 
scare, or deter natural movements of wildlife, includ-
ing hazing efforts carried out on foot or horseback 
or efforts aided by machinery, aircraft, or any type 
of noise-making device. 
(2) INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘individual’’ means 
any person representing a State or Federal Govern-
ment. 
(3) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means Yellow-
stone National Park. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(5) YELLOWSTONE BUFFALO HERD.—The term 
‘‘Yellowstone buffalo herd’’ means the wild, free 
roaming, unfenced buffalo living primarily within 
Yellowstone National Park. 
(e) PROHIBITED ACTS; CRIMINAL PENALTIES.—
(1) PROHIBITED ACTS.—No individual may kill, 
haze, or capture any buffalo on Federal land or land
held under Federal conservation easements or use 
any form of bait to lure buffalo from any Federal 
land onto private land until the duties under sub-
section (f) are carried out. 
(2) PENALTIES.—
(A) INITIAL
VIOLATION.—Any individual 
found to be in violation of paragraph (1) for the 
first time shall be fined not more than $5,000 
or imprisoned not more than 1 year or both. 
(B) SUBSEQUENT VIOLATIONS.—Any indi-
vidual found to be in violation of paragraph (1) 
after the first such finding shall be fined not 
more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more 
than 2 years or both. 
(C) REWARD.—One half of any fine col-
lected under this subsection or $2,500, which-
ever is less, shall be paid to any person or per-
sons giving information which leads to convic-
tion of a violation of this subsection. 
(D) EXCEPTION.—This subsection shall 
not apply to a person that is found to have been 
hazing a buffalo if the person is physically en-
dangered or private property was damaged by a 
buffalo.
(f) DUTIES.—The Secretary and other appropriate 
Federal agencies shall ensure that the following is accom-
plished not later than 3 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act: 
(1) The Yellowstone buffalo herd is allowed to 
freely roam the Park and the Federal lands adjacent 
to Yellowstone National Park on the north and west 
boundaries as indicated by zones 2 and 3 on the 
Modified Preferred Alternative Map on page 181 of 
the 2000 Bison Management Plan for the State of 
Montana and Yellowstone National Park Final Envi-
ronmental Impact Statement without being hazed. 
These lands shall be made available preferentially 
for buffalo and wildlife use. 
(2) Management authority of the Yellowstone 
buffalo herd within the Park is under the sole juris-
diction of the National Park Service. 
(3) The land exchange described in section 
1(b)(7) with the private property owner has been fi-
nalized, as set forth in the agreement executed in 
1999, so that the Yellowstone buffalo herd may free-
ly roam the lands described in paragraph (1). 
(4) The National Park Service has disassembled 
the Stephens Creek Buffalo Capture Facility.
(5) The Secretary has made every effort prac-
ticable to allow the Yellowstone buffalo herd to free-
ly roam Federal lands through incentives and coop-
erative efforts with adjacent private landowners, in-
cluding through acquisition, easement, cattle vac-
cination, and landowner agreement pertaining to 
temporal and spatial separation of livestock from the 
Yellowstone buffalo herd.
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