Dear NPS,

Please understand that the majority of U.S. citizens do not wish for any of our Yellowstone bison to be taken to slaughter.  According to the NPS, bison are being killed to fulfill an agreement with ranchers:  "Yellowstone bison are managed differently than other wildlife that migrate or disperse outside the park because the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior and the Governor of Montana signed a court-mediated agreement in 2000 that provided guidelines for limiting bison abundance and distribution in Montana."  http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/bisonmgntfaq.htm

It's unacceptable that indigenous animals are being slaughtered for cattle, a non-indigenous animal that science proves is extremely destructive to every ecosystem on this continent, as their feeding preference is wildflowers and medicinal plants before grass.  The opposite is true of bison, which is why they create biodiversity and thriving ecosystems for other animals.  The obvious alternative to slaughter is to relocate the "excess" bison to the Valles Caldera National Preserve, which is American Public Land.  Often referred to as the Mini-Yellowstone, VCNP geothermals, elevation and topography are very similar.  Our bison -- and YES, THEY BELONG TO THE CITIZENS OF AMERICA -- should be brought to this "Preserve" to continue the livelihood of this most pure of bison bloodlines. 

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad once graciously suggested that they would be interested in transporting bison from Yellowstone to NM at no cost, a valiant expression of their recognition that railroads played a significant role in the near-extinction of the bison.  Please allow Jemez Pueblo to care for our ancestral lands in a manner which can benefit all:  Bison, American Citizens, & Our Vital Ecosystem.  Before one bison is taken to slaughter, please contact us and let us arrange for their safe future. 

Lastly, something that has not been addressed in this controversy is that the super-volcano underneath the state of Wyoming has been rising at a record rate since 2004.  Its floor has gone up three inches per year for the last three years indicating the fastest rate since records began in 1923.  It's certainly possible that animals as intelligent and instinctual as bison are noticing the changes in their environment and exhibiting the same instinctual behavior as the elephants and other animals did prior to the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.  According to National Geographic:
• Elephants screamed and ran for higher ground.
• Flamingos abandoned their low-lying breeding areas.
• Zoo animals rushed into their shelters and could not be enticed to come back out.  Yellowstone bison could very well be trying to escape impending death by following ancient migration corridors out of the area.  If relocation is not accomplished, it is highly likely that this pure bloodline will become extinct when the Yellowstone Supervolcano blows, and according to scientists, "It's not a matter of IF, it's a matter of WHEN".

Thank you, The Pueblo of Jemez, Contact:  Joshua Madalena

CalderaOptions@yahoo.com