Welcome to the Interagency Bison Management Plan Web Site

The Interagency Bison Management Plan is a cooperative, multi-agency effort that guides the management of bison and brucellosis in and around Yellowstone National Park . The plan was developed by the National Park Service, USDA-Forest Service, USDA-Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, Montana Department of Livestock and Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks. After more than 10 years of negotiations, the plan was adopted in 2000.

Specifically, the IBMP seeks to:
  • Maintain a wild, free-ranging bison population;
  • Reduce the risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle;
  • Manage bison that leave Yellowstone National Park and enter the State of Montana;
  • Maintain Montana's brucellosis-free status for domestic livestock.
A complex document that utilizes the principals of adaptive management, the IBMP complies with the diverse mandates of the five partnering agencies (and in addition since November 2009 three Tribal entities: the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, the Inter Tribal Buffalo Council, and the Nez Perce Tribe) and is based on the best available scientific information.

This web site is the official repository for all formal documents associated with the Interagency Bison Management Plan. We hope you find it useful.