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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 28 June 2022
Grand Canyon won't seek volunteers to kill bison this fall

By FELICIA FONSECA and transferring them to
Associated Press Native American tribes that
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A have been trying to rees-
bison herd that lives almost tablish herds on their land.
exclusively in the northern A controversial pilot project
reaches of Grand Canyon last fall sought skilled volun-
National Park won't be tar- teers to shoot up to 12 of
geted for lethal removal the animals.
there this fall. More than 45,000 people
The park used skilled vol- applied for the chance.
unteers selected through Ultimately, 10 were picked,
a highly competitive and and they were able to kill
controversial lottery last four bison. Although the an-
year to kill bison, part of imals are massive, they're
a toolset to downsize the quick and agile and can
herd that's been trampling hide among thick stands of
meadows and archaeo- trees.
logical sites on the can- Grand Canyon officials say
yon's North Rim. they won't repeat the pro-
Introducing the sound of gram this fall, but it won't
gunfire and having peo- be excluded as a tool in
ple close to the bison was the future. Another corral-
meant to nudge the mas- In this photo provided by Grand Canyon National Park, an adult bison roams near a corral at the ling effort is planned.
sive animals back to the North Rim of the park in Arizona, on Aug. 30, 2021. The latest bison population
adjacent forest where they Associated Press estimate based on aerial
legally could be hunted. surveys and tracking devic-
But the efforts had little ef- national mammal in 2016 there. It's working with Na- the highway leading to the es shows 216 bison on the
fect. and depicted on the Na- tive American tribes, state North Rim entrance. The expansive Kaibab Plateau,
"They just kind of moved a tional Park Service logo. agencies and other groups bison are descendants of according to Grand Can-
bit from where the activity Hunting over hundreds of to find ways to reduce the those brought to Arizona in yon National Park. Agen-
occurred, and sometimes years and a genetic bottle- number of bison sent to the 1900s as part of a cross- cies that manage the land
they'd come back the next neck nearly left the animals slaughter. breeding experiment with and wildlife in far northern
day," said Grand Canyon that once numbered in the Theodore Roosevelt Na- cattle. Arizona and study the bi-
wildfire program manager tens of millions extinct in tional Park in North Dakota The animals increasingly son's movement are meet-
Greg Holm. the U.S. Federal wildlife au- regularly rounds up bison recognized they could be ing in July to start talking
New surveys also have thorities now support about using helicopters and cor- hunted on the adjacent about the long-term plan.
shown the herd is closer 11,000 bison in about a rals, then transfers some of national forest and sought Part of that discussion will
to the goal of about 200, dozen states, including the the animals to tribes, other refuge in the national park. include creating more
down from an estimated largest herd on public land states and national parks. Hunting isn't allowed at na- gaps in the state-sanc-
500 to 800 animals when at Yellowstone National Without natural preda- tional parks, but the agen- tioned bison hunting sea-
the park approved a plan Park. tors, bison herds can grow cy has authority to kill ani- sons outside Grand Can-
to quickly cut the size of the Yellowstone, which spans quickly and strain the re- mals that harm resources, yon National Park to see
herd. The park is now work- 3,500 square miles in Wyo- sources, the park says. using park staff or volun- if bison will move outside
ing with other agencies and ming, Montana and Ida- The Grand Canyon herd teers. the boundaries, said Larry
groups on a long-term plan ho, also is developing a didn't always live within the Most of the bison at Grand Phoenix, an Arizona Game
for managing the bison, an new management plan park's boundaries, where Canyon have been re- and Fish Department re-
animal declared America's for the roughly 5,500 bison they can be seen along moved by corralling them gional supervisor.q

White House to resume its full tour schedule next month

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pub- excluding federal holidays, tact with someone who is
lic tours of the White House beginning on July 19. suspected of having the
will return to a full operating The White House said Mon- virus "should stay home."
schedule next month, after day it will "continue to Face masks will also be
nearly a year and a half of closely monitor the CO- made available for visitors
disruptions due to the coro- VID-19 situation with guid- who want them, though
navirus pandemic. ance based on recom- use will be optional.
Free tours of the executive mendations from the CDC, Tours had been canceled
mansion were suspended and other public health for months by then-Presi-
when President Joe Biden officials and medical ex- dent Donald Trump at the
took office, as officials perts, and reserves the right onset of the pandemic but
tightened virus protocols in to adjust availability of the resumed in September 2020
line with guidance from the public tours as necessary to as he tried to project nor-
Centers for Disease Con- adhere to the latest health malcy, prompting a new
trol and Prevention. They guidance." suspension when the Biden
resumed on a limited ba- It added that, within 10 administration began.
sis, being held only Friday days prior to going on a Other White House events,
and Saturday mornings, on tour, anyone who has test- including the Easter Egg The North Lawn of the White House is seen from a newly re-
opened section of Pennsylvania Avenue, July 4, 2021, in Wash-
April 15, and will return to ed positive for COVID-19, Roll in April, have resumed ington.
their normal schedule from has had any virus symp- this year after a two-year Associated Press
Tuesday through Saturday, toms, or been in close con- hiatus.q