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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Research Needs
TITLE: Brucellosis in the Yellowstone
Ecosystem-Technical Assistance and
Research Needs
SUBMITTING BUREAU: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Originating Office: Regional Office, Region 6
DATE SUBMITTED: March 31, 1995
BIN NUMBER: FWS03CR98
BRD REGION: Central
DESCRIPTION OF NEED: Brucellosis in wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is an issue of national and international importance directly affecting USFWS, National Park Service, US Forest Service, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and 6 state agencies in 3 states. At issue is the risk of transmission of brucellosis from wildlife to domestic animals, the health and welfare of wildlife under FWS and NPS stewardship, and management of Federal lands. Brucellosis in GYE wildlife has been the basis for lawsuits against the FWS and NPS wherein both agencies were found negligent in their management of elk and bison. It has been the focal point and stumbling block for environmental assessments and impact statements of proposed management actions, and a major obstacle to USDA's program for national eradication of the disease. The FWS currently faces the threat of lawsuits on the issue. The major technical assistance needs and opportunistic research sampling to date have been met by BRD's National Wildlife Health Center; however, no program exists within the Center or BRD to dedicate effort to this issue. This proposal is to establish an BRD presence in the Yellowstone Ecosystem to deal with the escalating FWS and NPS needs in technical assistance and research on brucellosis. Specifically these needs include the following. Technical Assistance: assistance with developing and implementing management strategies on FWS and NPS lands to minimize the prevalence and potential transmission of brucellosis technical representation to the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee development of environmental assessments, impact statements and issue papers with regard to disease concerns representation at meetings where technical advice on disease is needed technical liaison to other agencies technical liaison for the public and press expert witness on disease issues for litigation animal health and welfare issues particularly with regard to research projects and proposed management actions development of information transfer products for FWS and NPS use Research: development of a research program to assess risk of transmission of brucellosis from FWS and NPS wildlife to livestock development and evaluation of brucellosis control methodologies compatible with FWS and NPS management and missions evaluation of management actions regarding their impact on brucellosis prevalence and transmission opportunistic research sampling, available as a result of other research or management activities, to evaluate brucellosis in GYE wildlife THIS PROPOSAL CORRESPONDS TO THE EASTERN ECOREGION (NATIONAL WILDLIFE HEALTH CENTER).
MANAGEMENT PROBLEM WITH NEED: Brucellosis in wildlife of the GYE is maintained as a direct result of management actions that cause dense winter aggregations of elk on feedgrounds. These feedgrounds include the National Elk Refuge and 22 State of Wyoming feedgrounds and involve an estimated 22-25,000 elk. In bison, the disease is maintained once introduced via their naturally gregarious behavior. Management options for brucellosis control in the Jackson bison herd (less than 220 animals) are limited because of their current association with infected elk on the National Elk Refuge. Management of the Jackson bison herd is the subject of a current environmental assessment conducted by the FWS, NPS, Wyoming Game and Fish, and BRD; however, brucellocis is only one of several issues that is being considered. Management and non-interference policies of the NPS have resulted in a large bison herd in Yellowstone National Park (est. 4300 animals) that has a high seroprevalence of brucellosis. This high density of bison, and possibly some Park winter management actions, have resulted in repeated migrations out of the Park into nearby States. Because those states are classified by USDA as brucellosis-free the presence of potentially infected bison presents a wildlife-livestock conflict. USDA/APHIS has already threatened loss of brucellosis-free status to Montana and Wyoming. Several entities are considering litigation against the FWS and NPS over management of brucellosis-infected elk and bison herds.
BUREAU CONTACT: Wayne King (303)-236-8155 ext 56
BRD PRIMARY CENTER: CRO
BRD CENTER CONTACT: Tom Roffe
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY99): Dr. Tom Roffe, project leader stationed in Bozeman, Montana, has been active in several research projects and providing technical assistance.
Technical Assistance:
Over the last year (Jan 98 to Jan 99) over 400 phone messages were logged, and 1,600 emails. My estimate is that FWS accounts for probably 30-35% of all contacts. See the topics list below regarding these contacts.
Topics for FWS contact include:
Research:
Current FWS High priority research:
Upcoming high priority FWS needs:
DATE SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: March 20, 1998
PREPARED BY: Thomas J. Roffe, PhD, DVM, Associate Regional Chief Biologist - Wildlife Health, USGS Biological Resources Division, FWP Bldg, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
Email: troffe@montana.edu mailto:troffe@montana.edu , Or: thomas_roffe@usgs.gov
T: 406-994-5789, F: 406-994-4090, M: 406-539-4955
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY98): Dr. Tom Roffe, NWHC project leader stationed in Bozeman, Montana, has been active in four research projects funded in part by NPS (NRPP) and FWS (Quick Response): 1) Epidemiology and pathogenesis of brucellosis in bison, 2) Relationship between serology and infection in Yellowstone National Park bison, 3) Biosafety of calfhood vaccination with Brucella abortus vaccine strain RB51 in wild managed herds of bison, and 4) Brucella abortus RB51 vaccine safety and efficacy in pregnant bison from Yellowstone National Park. In addition, Tom Roffe provides technical assistance on a continuing basis to both agencies on issues relating to brucellosis. This has involved numerous information summaries and reports to both agencies and frequent personal contacts with both field and administrative staff (FWS: Terry Terrell, Wayne King, Barry Reiswig, Bruce Smith; NPS: Dan Huff, Robert Schiller, Steve Cain, Wayne Brewster, John Mack)
DATE SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: December 4, 1997
PREPARED BY: Milt Friend, National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711-6223, 608-270-2400
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://biology.usgs.gov/cro/98fws-3.htm
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