GOAL, MISSION, AND OBJECTIVES OF THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE INTERAGENCY BRUCELLOSIS COMMITTEE (GYIBC)

GOAL

It is the Goal of the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee (GYIBC) to protect and sustain the existing free-ranging elk and bison populations in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) and protect the public interests and economic viability of the livestock industry in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

MISSION

Toward this end it is the Mission of the GYIBC to facilitate the development and implementation of brucellosis management plans for elk and bison in the GYA.

OBJECTIVES

This will be accomplished by subscribing to the following management Objectives which will, in turn, guide the GYIBC;

  • Recognize and maintain existing state and federal jurisdictional authority for elk, bison and livestock in the GYA;

  • Maintain numerically, biologically and genetically viable elk and/or bison populations in the respective states, national parks and wildlife refuges;

  • Maintain the brucellosis-free status of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and protect the ability of producers in the respective states to freely market livestock;

  • Eliminate brucellosis-related risks to public health;

  • Eliminate the potential transmission of Brucella abortus among elk, bison and livestock;

  • Coordinate brucellosis-related management activities among all affected agencies;

  • Base brucellosis-related management recommendations on defensible and factual information while encouraging and integrating new advances and technology;

  • Aggressively seek public factual information about the need to prevent the transmission of brucellosis, the need for its eradication and the rationale for related agency management actions; and

  • Plan for elimination of Brucella abortus from the GYA by the year 2010.

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