Bipartisan group of Senators led by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) supported the measure

National Bison Day on Nov. 7 will celebrate the ecological, cultural, and economic contributions of

Celebrate on social media with #BeardsforBison and #NationalBisonDay

WASHINGTON (November 4, 2015) – Last week, the Senate passed a resolution officially recognizing National Bison Day as this Saturday, November 7, 2015.

National Bison Day is an annual celebration of the ecological, cultural, historical and economic contribution of a national icon, the American bison. Similar resolutions were passed in 2013 and 2014. The day will be celebrated with events around the country as well as a social media campaign using #NationalBisonDay and #BeardsforBison, where supporters post photos of themselves wearing a “bison beard.”

The resolution was led by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and co-sponsored by a bipartisan mix of Senators. The effort is supported by the Vote Bison Coalition, a group of more than 50 organizations and businesses led by the Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council, National Bison Association, and Wildlife Conservation Society.

“The North America Bison is one of the most memorable and powerful symbols of the American West,” Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said. “Bison are linked to the economic and spiritual lives of many Indian tribes and have played an important role historically representing the strength and will of the American people.” 

The bison, North America’s largest land mammal, have an important role in America’s history, culture and economy. Before being nearly wiped from existence by westward expansion, bison roamed across most of North America. The species is acknowledged as the first American conservation success story, having been brought back from the brink of extinction by a concerted effort of ranchers, conservationists and politicians to save the species in the early 20th century. In 1907, President Teddy Roosevelt and the American Bison Society began this effort by shipping 15 animals by train from the Bronx Zoo to Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Many Native American tribes revere bison as a sacred and spiritual symbol of their heritage and maintain private bison herds on tribal lands throughout the West. Bison now exist in all 50 states in public and private herds, providing recreation opportunities for wildlife viewers in zoos, refuges and parks and sustaining the multimillion dollar bison ranching and production business.

In addition to Sens. Enzi and Donnelly, the National Bison Day resolution was co-sponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Sen. John Tester (D-MT), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). 

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The Inter Tribal Buffalo Council is a federally chartered Tribal organization dedicated to the restoration of buffalo to Tribal lands in manner that is compatible with their spiritual and cultural beliefs and practices. ITBC has been working on this mission since 1992. Visit: http://www.itbcbuffalo.com  

The National Bison Association brings together all stakeholders to celebrate the heritage of the American bison, to educate, and to create a sustainable future for our industry. Visit: http://www.bisoncentral.com

 

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.