Montana goes back on its word, to send bison to slaughter June 11

-Important update. See the June 12 story on bison-

I don’t like to step on the story that federal Judge Winmill just overturned Bush’s bastardized BLM rules because it is the more important story, but folks will probably be more likely to read that Montana has doublecrossed folks and captured the bison and sent the bison bulls, which can’t transmit brucellosis, to slaughter.

Here is the Buffalo Field Campaign’s news release, but remember this is not really about a disease or even about who gets the grass, the purpose is to show folks who are not in the grazing industry who is boss. Idaho lost its “brucellosis free status” due to infection from Wyoming elk, and in Idaho brucellosis is a total non-issue in media and among the public.

* PRESS RELEASE*

WILD BUFFALO CAPTURED; BULLS SLATED FOR SLAUGHTER
Agencies Deceive Public, Go Back on their Word Not to Slaughter

For Immediate Release, June 8, 2007
Exclusive Video Footage and Photos Available Upon Request
Contact: BFC, Stephany Seay 406-646-0070

WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA - Going back on their word not to slaughter wild bison, state and federal agencies to do just that. Today they have hazed about 50 wild bison off of cattle-free National Forest land and captured them in a bison trap constructed near the West Yellowstone Airport.

According to livestock officials, bulls will be transported to slaughter facilities on Monday. Yearlings may be transported to a state-federal quarantine facility as part of a scientific experiment. Calves and mothers will be transported over 150 miles to the Stephens Creek bison trap located within Yellowstone’s northern boundary and released after a few days.

“None of these buffalo are a brucellosis-transmission risk,” said BFC campaign coordinator Mike Mease. “There are no cattle in this region right now, and there never are any on the public lands where the buffalo are migrating.”

Last week, public pressure forced Montana and Yellowstone to call off the slaughter of 300 wild buffalo that remained in Montana. Following the no-slaughter decision, agencies stated they would capture and transport to Yellowstone’s northern boundary any buffalo found in Montana this week.

However, a DOL press release and confirmation by a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks official today stated the agencies intend to slaughter bull buffalo caught in today’s operations.

Stunning victory over Bush’s proposed new grazing rules!!

An Idaho federal judge has slapped down the Dept. of Interior’s proposed new grazing regulations which would have greatly limited public comment and public oversight of grazing on hundreds of millions of acres of BLM land. They would have also greatly weakened the standards grazers are supposed to be held to while telling the public to just shut up!

Judge Lynn Winmill, issued a permanent injunction on the regulations, handing yet another defeat to this lawless regime’s attempt to turn the public lands over to a small cadre of land-abusing livestock owners.

Here is the story from the Associated Press. Judge blocks rules on grazing, saying government caved in to livestock industry. By Rebecca Boone. Associated Press.

I am pleased that I was one of the winning plaintiffs on this case. Western Watersheds Project v. Joe Kraayenbrink, et al. defendants; and Ralph Maughan, et al. v. Dave Rosenkrance, et al., defendants.

There will be more on this later . . . .

Later.

Here is the best part of the ruling NOW THEREFORE IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that the motion for partial summary judgment (Docket No. 112), and the motion for summary judgment Docket No. 114) are GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the motions for summary judgment Docket Nos. 109, 113 & 110) are DENIED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the BLM regulations set forth in the Federal Register of July 12, 2006, 43 CFR Part 4100 et. seq., are ENJOINED in all
respects. [emphasis mine]

Read the entire legal opinion.

post 1196