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[from Pat Morris via AIM_AUTONOMOUS_PA@onelist.com]

Buffalo Wars Transcript - part 3
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/nightline/transcripts/nl000209_trans.html

CHRIS BURY And now joining us from the state Capitol at
Helena, Republican Governor Mark Roscicot. Governor, I read
that you spent more time on this issue than any other in the
state. Is that true?

GOVERNOR MARC RACICOT, REPUBLICAN MONTANA It is true. It’s
an incredibly important issue to Montana and it’s an
incredibly important issue to America. So we don’t begrudge
the fact we have to focus so much energy and time on it,
because we know that it has to be solved.

CHRIS BURY The Department of Interior says that the buffalo
of Yellowstone are as important a symbol to this country as
Old Faithful or the Statue of Liberty or the Grand Canyon.
Do you share that view?

MARC RACICOT We do share that view here in Montana.
Virtually everyone, I think, universally. We know that we
are trustees of a very, very important natural resource to
the people of this country. A creature that is majestic in
virtually every respect and we understand that we have a
special obligation to make certain that when we’re
addressing this issue, we do it in a way that it meets the
expectations of the American people.

CHRIS BURY Then why this policy of shooting buffalo that
come out of the park or trapping the buffalo, and in many
cases, if not most cases, shipping them off to slaughter?

MARC RACICOT Well, we don’t have a policy of shooting
buffalo, nor do we have a policy of shipping them off to
slaughter. What we do have is a policy of managing the issue
with the lowest level of activity that we can possibly
undertake and still prevent, in acceptable terms, the
transmission of the disease.

CHRIS BURY That policy does involve shooting or
slaughtering?

MARC RACICOT On occasion it can. There can be buffalo taken
by lethal means. That’s what the plan that’s been approved
by federal court and by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
provides for. That’s what the federal government and the
state of Montana have agreed to do. To say, however, that
that’s an acceptable means of approach, we would not say
that. Because we strongly believe that there are more
sensitive and more thoughtful approaches that can be
taken to this issue.

CHRIS BURY The Interior Department is stating flatly that
Montana’s fears of this disease are simply unfounded.

MARC RACICOT Well, first of all, the Department of Interior
commissioned a National Academy of Sciences report that says
directly the opposite. Secretary Babbitt asked a
distinguished panel of scientists to look at this issue and
they said exactly the contrary. And secondly, we spent 60
years in this country, since 1934 with the passage of
federal legislation, eliminating the disease, preventing
these kinds of opportunities from developing. And what
that...

CHRIS BURY As far—as far as I know, not one case of
brucellosis has occurred from buffalo transmitting that
disease to cattle.

MARC RACICOT I don’t believe there is a documented case and
that, again, is the result of extraordinarily strenuous
efforts to make sure that we eliminate brucellosis. As a
matter of fact, the only refuge for brucellosis in the
entire United States of America that’s left remaining in any
substantial terms, is in Yellowstone National Park and with
the bison herd. And in Montana, we’ve spent these 60 years
eliminating entire cattle herds to eliminate the disease. So
it’s a very complex issue, but that particular argument just
doesn’t carry the day.

CHRIS BURY Now the federal government says that they want to
leave Montana at the alter, that your approach is too
old-fashioned, that it doesn’t work anymore, and that
they’re going to move ahead without you.

MARC RACICOT Well, that’s regrettable, because quite
frankly, a plan can’t be implemented without partnership
between the federal and state government. And it’s
regrettable because we don’t believe that we’re occupying an
unreasonable position in any way whatsoever. What we’re
suggesting is that before we can move into a situation where
we can have larger boundaries and larger numbers outside and
higher risk animals, we have to have a balanced plan that
provides for vaccination and for quarantine so that we can
move healthy animals to other locations in the United States
of America.

CHRIS BURY Why not vaccinate the cattle, which is what the
Interior Department suggests?

MARC RACICOT The cattle are already being vaccinated. And if
that was a solution—you see, part of the problem here is the
federal government has created a monster in some respects.
They have convinced 50 states that brucellosis can be
tolerated in no respect whatsoever any place on the planet.

CHRIS BURY Even if it’s a theoretical transmission?

MARC RACICOT Even if it’s a theoretical transmission. I
mean, this is what the National Academy of Science has said,
Chris. They said that it is a real risk. And we have 49
other states around this country who are saying, ‘We will
impose sanctions on Montana if they move one inch further
from the position that they presently occupy unless they
have a balanced approach.’

CHRIS BURY This has been going on now for more than 30
years. Do you have any confidence that some kind of a
solution is going to be reached any time soon?

MARC RACICOT Yes, I have absolute confidence. And I think
that we’re almost there. And I believe that if we had to
start over again after I leave office and after all of those
people who are presently in the federal government leave
office, it would be a terrible, terrible disaster for those
who follow hereafter. So we must solve this. And we’re going
to do everything we can to bring it to a close. We’re almost
there, and I believe the court can help us get to the final
conclusion.

CHRIS BURY Governor Roscicot, thank you very much for
joining us today. I’ll be back with the final word in just a
moment.

                 (Commercial break)

CHRIS BURY What started off as a skirmish initiated by a
handful of activists has now evolved into a full-blown
battle between the state of Montana and any number of
federal agencies. Since both sides have now dug in their
heels, the future of the last free-roaming buffalo is now in
the hands of a federal judge. And that’s our report for
tonight. I’m Chris Bury in Yellowstone National Park. For
all of us here at ABCNEWS, good night.
 

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