USFWS Announces World Wood Bison Population No Longer Classified as Endangered
OutdoorHub 05.02.12
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will publish in the Federal Register tomorrow a Final Rule reclassifying the wood bison from endangered to threatened. The historical range of the wood bison encompassed a large area of Alaska, but at present, free-ranging wood bison occur only in Canada. Wood bison were previously listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). A proposed rule was published in the Federal Register in February 2011 to reclassify the species as threatened. Tomorrow’s publication of the Final Rule completes this reclassification process. The Final Rule will take effect 30 days after publication.
There are two closely related subspecies of bison; the wood bison and plains bison. Physical and genetic differences distinguish the two subspecies. The wood bison is the largest living, native terrestrial mammal in North America. The average weight of mature males is approximately 1 ton (2,000 pounds). A wood bison has a large triangular head, a thin beard and rudimentary throat mane, and a poorly-demarcated cape. The highest point of the hump of these animals is forward of their front legs; they have reduced chaps on their front legs, and their horns usually extend above the hair on their head. In contrast, the plains bison, the wood bison’s closest relative, has a thick beard and full throat mane and well-developed chaps. The highest point of the hump is over the front legs and horns rarely extend above their bonnet of dense, curly hair. Plains bison are smaller and lighter in color than wood bison. Historically, the range of the wood bison was generally north of that occupied by the plains bison, and included most boreal regions of northern Alberta; northeastern British Columbia; a small portion of northwestern Saskatchewan; the western Northwest Territories south and west of Great Slave Lake; the Mackenzie River Valley; most of The Yukon Territory; and much of interior Alaska. Currently, there are no wild free-ranging populations in Alaska.
Canada has their own version of an endangered species act called Species at Risk Act (SARA). Canada reclassified wood bison from endangered to threatened in 1988. Recovery actions have greatly increased the number of herds and animals in Canada. However, because threats still remain, primarily from disease, loss of habitat, and hybridization with plains bison, the species remains listed as threatened in Canada. Our classification of wood bison under the ESA has no bearing on how Canada manages their animals or the decisions they make on classification.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the Service to list species as endangered or threatened regardless of which country the species lives in. Benefits to foreign species include prohibitions on certain activities; including import, export, take, commercial activity, interstate commerce, and foreign commerce. By regulating activities, the United States ensures that people under the jurisdiction of the United States do not contribute to the further decline of listed species. Although the ESA’s prohibitions regarding listed species apply only to people subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, the ESA can generate conservation benefits such as increased awareness of listed species, research efforts to address conservation needs, or funding for in-situ conservation of the species in its range countries.
The Final rule may be viewed in the Federal Register tomorrow at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/ Docket No. FWS–R9–IA–2008–0123. The public may also obtain a copy at the Anchorage Regional Office, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska, or by calling the Regional Office, (907) 786-3309, and requesting a copy. Additional information, including Q&As, can be found online at: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/endangered/species/wood_bison.htm.
