Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Montana Department of Livestock are looking for ranchers and wildlife enthusiasts to help recommend solutions to the spread of brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area.
The seven-member task force will make science-based recommendations on wildlife and livestock management in the Greater Yellowstone Area to reduce the risk of transmission of the disease.
Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that causes abortions in cattle and wild ungulates like bison and elk, and undulant fever in humans. The livestock industry has spent millions of dollars to eliminate brucellosis in cattle in the United States. The last remaining reservoir of brucellosis in the nation is found in wild ungulates in the Greater Yellowstone Area.
The Greater Yellowstone Area generally is defined as the Yellowstone River Valley south of Livingston (Paradise Valley) to the east side of the Madison River Valley south of Ennis.
Recent outbreaks of brucellosis in two cattle herds in Montana, which most likely came from wild elk, have caused Montana to lose its “brucellosis class free” status. This will have a significant financial impact on livestock producers across the state.
The effects of brucellosis on the productivity of the elk population or species that prey on elk, such as wolves and grizzly bears, are unknown. However, no disease is beneficial to the host species.
In a letter this week calling for nominations to the task force, FWP Director Jeff Hagener and DOL Executive Director Christian Mackay said that brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area is not a wildlife problem nor a livestock problem, but rather a disease problem that affects both Montana wildlife and livestock. Reducing the risk of transmission of brucellosis within and between elk and livestock would benefit both wildlife and livestock interests, they said.
The new taskforce will be co-chaired by Marty Zaluski, the Montana state veterinarian, and Ken McDonald, FWP Wildlife Division Administrator. The remaining members will include:
- A rancher operating within the Greater Yellowstone Area.
- A rancher operating outside of the Greater Yellowstone Area.
- A wildlife enthusiast, sportsman or conservationist living within the Greater Yellowstone Area.
- A wildlife enthusiast, sportsman or conservationist living outside of the Greater Yellowstone Area.
- One rancher/outfitter.
For those interested in serving on the task force, a
one-page application is online at
fwp.mt.gov; and from DOL online at
liv.mt.gov. The application deadline is Oct. 15. Applications are being accepted at both the FWP and DOL directors’ offices.
Task force meetings will begin as soon as possible after members are appointed. All of the meetings will be announced in advance and open to the public. A draft charter for the group calls for consensus recommendations to government agencies, private individuals or non-government organizations by Dec. 31, 2009. Issues without consensus solutions will be presented as both majority and minority reports.
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