I guess he is anxious to stick it to Montana hunters in 2015, science be damned!

Sen. John Brenden, owner of Scobey Farms, from Scobey, MT, appears anxious to beat the rush to stick it to Montana hunters in the 2015 legislative session. He has already filed (drafting in process) LC0023 - Prohibit sage grouse hunting in Montana.
So heres some back story.  "Sage grouse With the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ordered to decide whether to list the sage grouse as an endangered species by 2015, Western states have been working to establish their own management plans. 'If you think the wolf was a big issue for Montana, it’s a piker compared to sage grouse,' said Sen. Bradley Hamlett, D-Cascade, who sits on the council and the governor’s advisory committee. The governor has appointed a sage grouse advisory committee which has scheduled 10 meetings between now and October. The plan is to have a draft out in October with a final report recommended by late November. Gov. Steve Bullock would then have until early January to make any adjustments with a plan finalized by the end of January, said Jeff Hagener, director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Council member Sen. John Brenden, R-Scobey, suggested that halting the state’s hunting season for sage grouse may satisfy concerns expressed by some of the state’s partners. Hagener noted that, scientifically, hunting hasn’t been seen as affecting the bird’s population, but the perception is that if oil and gas leasing may be disallowed in certain areas because the birds are few, then hunting shouldn’t be allowed."


Let's not let science get in the way of wildlife management, by any means.

"In their March 2010 listing decision, the USFWS concluded that the key threats to the continued survival of sage - grouse are 1) habitat loss, fragmentation, and modification and 2) inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms, particularly in relation to energy and other development. The USFWS also evaluated the 'utilization' (e.g. hunting) of sage-grouse and concluded that 'the greater sage-grouse is not threatened by overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes now or in the foreseeable future' "

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 Greater Sage Grouse Conservation Strategy Page

American Plains Bison:Rewilding An Icon by James Bailey

For many, plains bison are the embodiment of wildness and the pre-settlement American West. After millenia of evolution through natural selection, however, the species was nearly exterminated, only to be subjected to domestication for more than 100 years. Domestication alters the bison genome through inbreeding, crossing with cattle genes, shrinking genetic diversity and artificial selection. These forces continue to replace natural selection and valued wild characteristics of bison. Does the future hold only continued domestication for plains bison in the United States?
 
With a view from over 50 years in the profession of wildlife biology, Bailey probes this and other questions in his original analysis of 44 conservation bison herds on native range in the United States. He focuses upon the gray area between wildness and domestication and sheds light on domesticating practices of Native American and government agencies, as well as commercial producers. He challenges the profession of wildlife management to expand its views of opportunities for manipulating wildlife populations. For bison, Bailey makes a strong case for creating large reserves to restore wild bison and their natural contributions to our grassland ecosystems.

Jim Bailey was professor of wildlife biology at Colorado State University for 20 years, teaching big-game management and wildlife nutrition. His first book was Principles of Wildlife Management. In retirement, he became interested in the management of bison in Yellowstone National Park. This led to his survey of the conservation status of bison in the United States and reassessment of wildlife management's influences upon the future evolution of large wild mammals.

You can purchase a copy of American Plains Bison, Rewilding An Icon,
at the following locations:

Bozeman - Country Bookshelf, 28 W. Main, Bozeman, MT 406-587-0166
Helena - Montana Book & Toy Co., 331 N. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT 406-443-0260
Missoula - Fact & Fiction Downtown, 220 N Higgins, Missoula, MT 406-721-2881; University Center, 5 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT (in The Bookstore at UM) 406-243-1234
Missoula - The Book Exchange, 2335 Brooks St., Missoula, MT 406-728-6342
Check with your local book seller, you can ask them to contact Farcountry Press at
1-800-821-3874, or order from them directly.
Amazon.com