UPDATE: Yellowstone National Park announced on Tuesday, Aug. 8, that it has extended the public comment period on this matter until Aug. 25.
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park is seeking public comments on an Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes a proposal by Custer Gallatin National Forest and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) to remove nonnative rainbow trout and hybridized cutthroat trout from the Buffalo Creek drainage. After removal, they plan to reintroduce native Yellowstone cutthroat trout to the drainage, according to the press release announcing the call for comments.
In 2022, Custer Gallatin National Forest along with FWP issued an EA analyzing the proposal. The Buffalo Creek drainage is located just north of Yellowstone in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness of Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Yellowstone’s EA analyzes the 2022 proposal’s site-specific impacts to Yellowstone. Both agencies plan to use the Slough Creek area in the northeastern part of Yellowstone to access the Buffalo Creek drainage and stage equipment. Yellowstone’s EA alternatives include:
Alternative 1: The National Park Service (NPS) would remove nonnative and hybridized trout from Buffalo Creek within the park in order to reintroduce native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. This is the park’s current management direction for native fish conservation and was authorized in the park’s 2010 Native Fish Conservation Plan. In addition, Alternative 1 would not authorize Custer Gallatin National Forest and FWP to use the park in support of their proposal.
Alternative 2: The NPS would allow Custer Gallatin National Forest to use the Slough Creek area for helicopter flights and to access their project area by foot and stock once the national forest finalizes its plan. Five to ten flights per year would take place and the project could take up to 10 years to complete.
According to the park, The Custer Gallatin National Forest and FWP 2022 proposal supports Yellowstone’s 2010 conservation plan.
“The park’s success rate for conserving native trout within its boundary would be limited without the ability to remove nonnative fish upstream in the national forest,” states the press release.
Comments must be received by Aug. 9. Comments may be submitted online or by mail: Yellowstone Center for Resources – Compliance Branch, Attention: Buffalo Creek EA, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190.
Comments via fax or email will not be accepted. Bulk comments in any format submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.
