Congressman Paul Gosar introduced H.R. 3005, the Grand Canyon Bison Management Act, with fellow representatives Trent Franks, Tom O’Halleran, and David Schweikert. The Act will allow the herd, which has grown to unmanageable levels, to be culled.
The bison residing in the Grand Canyon National Park are no ordinary bison, according to Gosar. They are a crossbreed between bison and cattle that have migrated from the Kaibab National Forest and found sanctuary inside the Grand Canyon National Park, protected from hunters. The bison population has risen from approximately 200 animals to projections now reaching nearly 600 head.
The Grand Canyon Bison Management Act directs the National Park Service (NPS) to collaborate with the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD) to manage a reduction in the number of bison with the proactive effort by AZGFD and volunteer citizen hunters.
The Park Service, in the 201-page NPS Environmental Assessment (EA) of the issue, acknowledged the problem. The EA proposes reducing the size of the herd to fewer than 200 animals by enlisting the assistance of skilled volunteers (supervised hunters) for humane lethal culling. The EA’s preferred alternative also allows for these skilled volunteers to keep the meat. Congressman Gosar has consistently pushed NPS to adopt these two policies.
The preferred alternative also allows for reduction of the herd through sharpshooters and other nonlethal means which include corralling, hazing, herding, fencing and the use of attractants.
It is estimated that the herd needs to be reduced by about 400 head to meet sustainable management levels. NPS estimates the target herd level can be achieved over the course of the next three to five years. NPS also estimates “that this bison herd could grow to nearly 800 bison in the next three years and as large as 1200 to 1500 animals within ten years if further management actions are not taken.”
“The Grand Canyon has a bison management problem and we have the solution, said Congressman Gosar in a press release. “While the National Park Service has languished in analysis paralysis for years, we have worked the Arizona Game and Fish Department and dozens of stakeholder groups to develop a commonsense plan. This bill addresses immediate population concerns and provides a long-term Management Plan to reduce bison numbers in the Park to a healthy level. By authorizing the immediate use of lethal and non-lethal methods, this bill will allow for the reduction of the bison herd, ensure its long-term sustainability and provide Grand Canyon National Park’s resources a respite from degradation and a chance to rejuvenate and heal.”
“A coordinated effort with Game and Fish and the National Park Service will save taxpayer dollars and allow citizen hunters to participate in a fair and humane hunt. Successful citizen hunters will be allowed to retain the entire animal in an ethical way governed by Game and Fish rules and regulations, again in concert with the Park Service. Better still, this bill takes immediate steps to solve this growing population at no federal cost,” continued Gosar. This legislation should be the gold standard for developing practical, bipartisan solutions at the local level without spending a dime of taxpayer dollars.”
“The Grand Canyon is a national treasure worth protecting, and the Grand Canyon Bison Management Act helps preserve the Park and wildlife diversity for future generations to enjoy,” concluded Gosar.
“The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is encouraged that Rep. Paul Gosar is striving to not only put the protection of the Grand Canyon and its resources first, but that he also considers utilizing Arizona’s dedicated hunters as a part of the solution to this serious issue,” Arizona Game and Fish Commission Chairman Pat Madden said. “This bill would provide hunters increased opportunities to harvest buffalo, feed their families, improve bison herd health and positively impact the entire habitat for all of the Park’s diverse wildlife.”