Buffalo Restoration Efforts on Wind River Reservation in Wyoming
Jason Baldes, the executive director of the Wind River Buffalo Initiative and a member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe, has been instrumental in growing the number of buffalo on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. Recently, he drove 11 young buffalo from Colorado to the reservation, adding to the 97 buffalo owned by the Northern Arapaho tribe and the 118 owned by the Eastern Shoshone tribe.
Baldes emphasizes the importance of tribes in restoring buffalo for food sovereignty, culture, and nutrition, as well as for overall bison recovery. This month, the Eastern Shoshone tribe voted to classify buffalo as wildlife instead of livestock, treating them more like elk or deer rather than cattle. This distinction challenges the traditional relationship between animals and products and reflects a growing interest in restoring buffalo on the landscape.
While climate change is not the main driver behind the push to restore buffalo wildlife status, it could have positive effects on the fight against global warming. Climate change is affecting Wyoming’s glaciers, contributing to drought, and increasing wildfires. While buffalo emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, they can also increase biodiversity, promote drought resistance, and help store carbon in the earth.
Baldes advocates for allowing buffalo to roam freely on the plains to enhance biodiversity and restore ecological health to the landscape. By treating buffalo as wildlife rather than livestock based on economic and Western paradigms, the animals can exist on the landscape in a more natural way.
The recent vote by the Eastern Shoshone tribe to classify buffalo as wildlife is a significant step towards recognizing the cultural and ecological importance of these animals. As efforts continue to restore buffalo populations on the Wind River Reservation, the hope is to create a more sustainable and harmonious relationship between humans and the natural world. Wildlife refers to animals that are not domesticated or selectively bred for human consumption or companionship. These animals typically exist in their natural habitats and are not controlled or managed by humans. Bison, for example, are considered wildlife as they have not been domesticated for human use.
Bison have a complex history, especially considering their near extinction over 100 years ago. Lisa Shipley, a professor at Washington State University, studies the management of wild ungulates, which include buffalo. Interestingly, tribes and locals often refer to these animals as buffalo, while scientists use the term bison to describe them.
During the western expansion of settlers, a combination of factors such as overhunting, habitat destruction, and government policies aimed at eradicating Indigenous peoples’ food supplies led to the near extinction of bison. At one point, there were around eight million buffalo in the United States, but within 20 years, their numbers dwindled to less than 500. Today, there are approximately 20,000 wild plains bison in North America, with many more residing in privately owned operations for the growing bison meat industry.
The global meat market sees buffalo as an interesting addition, with around 85,000 bison processed for meat consumption in the United States in 2023. While this number pales in comparison to the 36 million head of cattle processed, some producers view buffalo as a sustainable option for meat production.
In general, there are typically more livestock on the land than wildlife. Studies have shown that if all the livestock in the world were weighed, they would be 30 times heavier than all the wildlife on Earth. This imbalance has led many to advocate for reducing reliance on cows, a popular form of livestock, to combat climate change.
Cows contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for around 10 percent of emissions. Additionally, having an excess of cows on a small patch of pasture can lead to negative environmental impacts such as soil erosion and reduced carbon absorption capacity.
Buffalo are beneficial to landscapes as they tend to move around more freely when given enough space. Research has shown that buffalo spend less time grazing compared to cattle, move faster, and consume a wider variety of grasses. This mobility and grazing behavior make them valuable contributors to ecosystem health and biodiversity. Buffalo, often romanticized as a symbol of the American West, can play a crucial role in maintaining healthy landscapes. However, even these majestic creatures can cause damage if not managed properly. Justin Binfet, wildlife management coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, warns that an overabundance of buffalo can lead to rangeland degradation and health concerns.
In Wyoming, buffalo are classified as both livestock and wildlife, allowing for private ownership or management in conservation herds. However, regulations vary across the state, with around 70 buffalo hunting tags issued annually. The National Park Service oversees the oldest untouched buffalo population in Yellowstone National Park, straddling Wyoming and Montana. Montana has challenged the Park’s buffalo management plan, advocating for more population control and increased tribal hunting opportunities.
Ranchers in Wyoming and Montana, including tribal members raising cattle, often cite the threat of brucellosis as a reason to keep buffalo and cattle separate. Despite concerns, there has been no reported case of bison-to-cattle transmission of the disease. Wyoming has a history of disputes over tribal hunting rights, with the Supreme Court ruling in favor of treaty-protected hunting in the state in 2019. The intersection of buffalo as wildlife and tribal sovereignty remains a complex issue.
On the Wind River Reservation, tribes have control over wildlife management and hunting regulations. The Wind River Buffalo Initiative aims to reintroduce buffalo and restore their natural habitat. Jason Baldes, a tribal member leading the initiative, envisions hunting buffalo as one would any other wildlife, emphasizing a respectful relationship with these animals. He hopes to create a space where buffalo can roam freely, echoing their pre-settler contact existence.
Bringing back buffalo is not just about conservation but also about honoring the historical relationship between Indigenous peoples and these iconic animals. Baldes stresses the importance of treating buffalo as they were before Western expansion, emphasizing respect and harmony rather than domination. As efforts continue to reintroduce buffalo to their native habitats, it is essential to prioritize sustainable management practices to ensure the coexistence of these magnificent creatures with the landscape. The world of technology is constantly evolving, with new innovations and advancements being made every day. One such advancement that has been gaining popularity in recent years is artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a branch of computer science that aims to create intelligent machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation.
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