Supt: Yellowstone wants to fix livestock disease

By MATT GOURAS ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER HELENA, Mont. -- Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis says federal managers want to help fix a livestock disease that has caused problems for area ranchers. Lewis told the Montana Board of Livestock that everyone involved needs to work together. She says fighting among ranchers, environmentalists and hunters is not helping. The park is awaiting a study to see if it can move on a plan to vaccinate park bison for brucellosis. But Lewis says that will only be part of the solution. She says more research is needed to find a better vaccine. And habitat outside the park is needed for bison so hunting of the animal can be increased. Montana ranchers recently lost their brucellosis-free status. Park bison are generally blamed for carrying a disease that is passed onto elk and... [read full story]