Bison management plan meetings set in Montana

The latest effort to adjust plans for how wild bison are managed around Yellowstone National Park is being released, with interested ranchers, conservation groups and the general public being invited to view the details next week.

The new draft plan is designed to replace the Interagency Bison Management Plan, which has been in place since 2011. Wildlife managers say the new plan is being written around the latest science and research, and what has been learned about the herd's migration in and out of the park the past several seasons.

This plan, being developed by the National Park Service and the State of Montana uses six different alternatives that were outlined in recent public "scoping" efforts.

The three meetings will give people a chance to review the initial work, with an open house where questions can be directed to NPS and FWP officials.

The meetings will be held in Bozeman on June 2 at the Hilton Garden Inn, June 3 at the Gardiner School and June 4 at the Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone.

The new plan could be finalized in 2017.