About IBMP

The Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) was signed in 2000 to coordinate bison and brucellosis management between the State of Montana and 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.

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

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A complex document that utilizes the principles of adaptive management, the IBMP complies with the diverse mandates of the six partnering agencies (and in addition since November 2009 three Tribal entities: the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, the InterTribal Buffalo Council, and the Nez Perce Tribe) and is based on the best available scientific information.