FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 18, 1996
Media Contact: Mike Mease, (406) 646-0070
Interview Contact: Bryce Smedley, (406) 327-0585
On January 15 and 16 Buffalo Nation volunteers confronted Montana's
Department of Livestock (DOL) as the DOL attempted to haze a total of 14
bison into a capture facility and back into Yellowstone Park. The DOL
operates the capture facility where they corral the buffalo before testing
them and sending them to slaughter.
Both days, the DOL used snowmobiles and "cracker barrels" (firecrackers
shot from guns) in an attempt to haze fourteen bison who were grazing on
private land. Buffalo Nations volunteers moved through snow into positions
where they could ensure the safety and freedom of the buffalo.
On January 15 the DOL hazed 14 buffalo all afternoon, and were unsuccessful
in hazing them towards the capture facility. That day the DOL even hazed
the buffalo in the direction of volunteers monitoring DOL's efforts, thus
endangering the lives of those volunteers. By the end of each day all 14
buffalo had moved into safe areas and the DOL had given up.
On January 16 the DOL spent all day hazing buffalo with snowmobiles and
cracker rounds, and finally sent all 14 back into the park.
Buffalo Nations is appalled at the Department of Livestock's total
disrespect for human safety. During their hazing activities, the DOL sent
buffalo running down a residential road where people were standing and
children were walking home from school. They also shot cracker rounds at
buffalo standing on a piece of property in spite of the resident's. In
another incident they hazed bison with cracker-barrels despite the
resident's insistence that no bison be shot or hazed on her land.
We are concerned about the safety of our activists from those who oppose
our efforts. Our campaign follows a code of non-violence. Our goal is to
protect buffalo from being killed.
Yet during the events of January 15, Bryce Smedley, a Buffalo Nations
volunteer, was forced into a confrontation with Mr. Koelzer, the owner of
the land where the capture facility is located. Smedley had entered the
property to protect endangered bison. Koelzer, lowering his truck's snow
plow, aggressively told Smedly to leave then abruptly turned his vehicle
around and drove into Smedly, knocking him down and running over his foot.
Luckily, Bryce sustained only minor injuries. "People are putting their
lives on the line every day to save these buffalo. I chose to trespass to
protect the buffalo non-violently and was met with violence," Smedley said.
Bryce is pressing assault charges against Mr. Koelzer and Koelzer will
press trespassing charges against Bryce.
On January 18, a 20 year-old Buffalo Nations volunteer from Livingston
reported that the lug nuts on one of her rear tires had been loosened.
Luckily she discovered the situation before she was hurt.
The DOL's hazing efforts caused the buffalo to panic and stampede. This
wastes the energy of the herd at a time in the winter when forage is scarce
and their energy is low.
"Buffalo Nations has a firm commitment to save the buffalo in a non-violent
manner. We may trespass, but we will never endanger anyone's life. Our
job is to keep the buffalo safe from the one agency that still insists on
killing them. Until buffalo are given wildlife status and their fate is no
longer controlled by the DOL, Buffalo Nations will be here to protect our
children's heritage." stated Michael Mease, Buffalo Nations co-founder.
We oppose using capture facilities for the Yellowstone buffalo herd. These
bison should not be forced to spend the winter in captivity like cattle.
Last year when the bison were put in holding pens they were so frightened
that they injured and gored each other. Yellowstone's bison are not
livestock, and should not be kept for half the year under conditions which
are alien to bison.
Last year, buffalo held in capture facilities were indiscriminately shipped
to slaughter. The tests for brucellosis are at best 70% effective, and
resulted in the slaughter of bison who tested positive at the facility but
tested negative at the slaughterhouse.
Last year, the DOL marked and released bison from the capture facilities
who tested negative for brucellosis. Yet many marked bison were
subsequently shot in the field. Joanne Stovall, a resident of Horse Butte,
reports, "I saw that those animals who had been marked and were supposedly
protected were killed last winter. When it came time to shoot the bison,
they killed any that were around so it seems like it was futile to even
test them in the first place. Afterwards I saw carcasses with DOL markings
on them."
Background-- Last year, nearly 1100 wild buffalo were slaughtered by the
Montana's Dept. of Livestock and rangers from Yellowstone National Park.
These wild buffalo were leaving Yellowstone National Park in search of food
during an extremely cold and snowy winter. There is no justification for
this slaughter.
--Buffalo Nations is a coalition of Native American Traditionalist and
grassroots activists of all races volunteering to save the last wild
buffalo in the United States. There are less than 1000 wild buffalo left in
the lower 48.
Buffalo Nations
PO Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070 phone
406-646-0071 fax
email: buffalo@wildrockies.org
http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo