Montana Governor Says Yellowstone Bison Can Be Moved In State

Montana's governor says he will not block the relocation of 68 bison to two American Indian reservations. Gov. Brian Schweitzer last week declared that no Yellowstone National Park bison could be moved within Montana. He cited mixed messages from the federal government on whether some quarantined bison could harbor the disease brucellosis. But Schweitzer said Monday the relocations can move forward because an Interior Department researcher said he believes the animals do not have the disease. Tribal leaders had criticized the Democratic governor's earlier stance. Schweitzer says he will continue to block shipments of any bison other than the quarantined animals. He wants Yellowstone to consider hunting inside the park to keep the animal's population in check. Biologists say more than 1,000 bison could migrate from the park this winter.