I wish to focus my talk today on the cooperative strategy agreement that was reached by the National Park Service, the Forest Service and APHIS on January 12 of this year.

The strategy document was certainly a landmark agreement, and it couldn’t have come at a more important time. With estimates of the brucellosis infection rate in Yellowstone bison as high as 60 percent and over 400 bison leaving Yellowstone Park this past winter in search of food, something must be done now.

However, it should be noted that from a historical perspective, the threat of brucellosis in Yellowstone bison is not new. APHIS has been concerned about the presence of the disease in Yellowstone’s bison herd since the inception of the Cooperative State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication Program in 1934.

Nevertheless, the situation in the park has become more critical in recent years. The bison herd continues to grow dramatically. From 1990 to 1994 alone, the herd grew from approximately 2,200 to 4,500 animals. A doubling in size in five short years. When combined with the high estimates of the presence of brucellosis in these animals, these statistics indicate an alarming threat to cattle populations in all states, especially the states surrounding the park. A threat we must all work together to manage.

The disease presence also poses a threat to the highly successful State-Federal Cooperative Brucellosis Eradication Program--a program the federal government, the states, and industry have invested over $3 billion in since its inception in 1934.

We are now on the verge of successfully completing this program and achieving the important goal of nationwide brucellosis eradication in livestock herds. We cannot afford any setbacks, including setbacks caused by brucellosis in wildlife populations.

At the same time, we must recognize the vital importance of our nation’s wildlife resources and the historical significance of bison. And we must focus our efforts on preserving the bison while purging the disease.

Last December, the growing concerns about the disease presence in Yellowstone and the lack of an acceptable management approach came together to cause concerns about Montana’s status as a brucellosis-free state. In response, Montana filed a lawsuit, of which we are all aware, against the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior.

The message in Montana’s suit was clear: we in the federal government need to work together to find a solution to eliminate brucellosis from the Yellowstone area.

We heard Montana’s concerns. The cooperative strategy signed in January is the federal government’s commitment to developing such a solution. The strategy is only the first step down a long road. But, at least, for the first time, we are all traveling in the same direction. And we are hopeful that our efforts will lead to the resolution of the issues in Montana’s suit.

The cooperative strategy establishes a couple of important goals for addressing brucellosis in Yellowstone bison.

Agreement on these goals is evidence that the status quo regarding this issue is no longer acceptable, that the growing concern about the presence of brucellosis in Yellowstone bison requires action.

It also indicates that, as partners in the federal government, the National Park Service, the Forest Service and APHIS have recognized a shared responsibility to develop a single, long-term solution to the brucellosis problem in an expedient manner.

One of the primary goals of the cooperative strategy is the elimination of brucellosis from Yellowstone Park. As many of you will remember, the discussion surrounding Yellowstone bison has long focused on managing the disease presence, not on eliminating it. In the strategy, this approach changed; we recognized that elimination of the disease must be a priority.

With disease eradication as a goal, we nevertheless wholeheartedly agreed that we must attest to our reverence for the bison. After all, free-roaming bison are a part of our national heritage and an integral part of Yellowstone National Park.

Accordingly, we agreed on a second goal that environmental and conservation concerns must be critical elements in any long-term solution. And that, before proceeding with disease eradication activities, we must consider the environmental effects of our actions.

Because of the complexity of the task ahead, APHIS, the National Park Service and the Forest Service acknowledged that the solution to the Yellowstone brucellosis issue will require flexibility. We must arrive at the solution by consensus of the involved federal agencies, with input from the states, the livestock industry, conservation groups, and the public.

Because of the need for both flexibility and consensus, the cooperative strategy does not provide a blueprint of specific action steps for responding to brucellosis in Yellowstone. Rather, it establishes the commitment to resolve the issue and offers a few select measures that should be incorporated into a larger, more developed plan.

These measures include establishing a quarantine area near the park to segregate bison from possible contact with cattle and efforts by National Park Service staff to impede the movement of bison through and/or out of Yellowstone.

APHIS is committed to supporting these measures and others aimed at fulfilling the goals of the cooperative strategy. The agency has ready mobile testing equipment that has been used in successful eradication efforts in other bison herds, and it continues to support research aimed at identifying a more effective brucellosis vaccine for use in these animals.

APHIS has also developed a proposed plan for eliminating the disease from Yellowstone bison and ensuring the continued brucellosis-free status of Montana, Wyoming,and Idaho. The plan, which involves the testing and removal of infected animals and the vaccination of healthy ones, is based on APHIS’ many years of animal health experience. APHIS has also undertaken similar efforts in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, and Moese National Park in Montana--both successful I might add. We are ready and willing to offer APHIS’ plan as a viable approach for the cooperative strategy, and we look forward to discussing it with the National Park Service and other affected parties over the next several months.

Ultimately, to make the cooperative strategy a success, we must incorporate the viewpoint of all concerned parties. This will require continuing dialogue followed by consensus and then lots of hard work.

This is not new territory for those of us concerned with animal health. Our cooperative programs have repeatedly overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles with teamwork and dedication.

Now, we face brucellosis in Yellowstone bison. And I know that, working together with other federal agencies, conservation groups, and the public, we can once again achieve success.

On behalf of USDA, I look forward to your participation and support in these efforts.