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Grand Canyon bison removal program set for fifth year

A herd of bison graze in a meadow on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Nearly 200 of the animals have been transferred to tribal lands elsewhere in the U.S. since officials began the herd reduction plan in 2018.
L. Cisneros
/
NPS Photo
A herd of bison graze in a meadow on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Nearly 200 of the animals have been transferred to tribal lands elsewhere in the U.S. since officials began the herd reduction plan in 2018.

Grand Canyon National Park is set for a fifth season of live capture and removal of bison from the North Rim.

Park officials say this year’s work will start in early September.

The program began in 2018 and was designed to combat overpopulation and shrink the North Rim herd from about 600 animals to 200.

According to the National Park Service, the bison have trampled animal habitat, vegetation and archaeological sites.

More than 200 bison have been removed since the program's launch with 182 transferred to eight different tribes through an agreement with the InterTribal Buffalo Council.

The ITBC is a collection of 69 federally recognized tribes from 19 different states whose mission is to restore bison to tribal lands to preserve the historical, cultural, traditional and spiritual relationship for future generations.