American buffalo get more room to roam

RESTON, Va., April 11 (UPI) -- American bison are no longer subject to slaughter because of agreements reached with ranchers near Yellowstone Park, the National Wildlife Federation said.

A management plan for bison in Yellowstone National Park kept the herd confined to the park boundaries because of concerns they could infect nearby cattle with brucellosis, a disease that leads to premature abortion in livestock.

Bison were slaughtered during the winters in order to prevent possible contamination of cattle herds. The National Wildlife Foundation said it reached an agreement with area ranchers and native American populations to prevent the practice.

Bison under the terms of the agreement will be allowed to migrate into a 75,000-acre conservation area north of Yellowstone Park. Ranchers under the deal said they would end cattle grazing in the area to accommodate bison migration.

"The establishment of the Gardiner Basin Bison Conservation Area ends an era where bison were killed or quarantined simply for walking across boundary in search of winter feed," said Tom France, regional executive director of NWF's northern Rockies and prairies regional center, in a statement. "It is a huge step forward for wildlife conservation in the northern Rockies."