,,ii  ,calendar ,no4 #dch #aadth        
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #bijh
  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the        
,,united ,,states  ,april #bg1          
#bjaf,received2 read twice and placed on
 the calendar  ,,an ,,act  ,to adopt the
 bison as the national mammal of the    
,united ,states4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,national     
,bison ,legacy ,act4  #b4 ,findings     
,congress finds that--  7#a7 bison are  
considered a historical symbol of the   
,united ,states2  7#b7 bison were       
integrally linked with the economic and 
spiritual lives of many ,indian tribes  
through trade and sacred ceremonies2    
7#c7 there are more than #fj ,indian    
tribes participating in the ,intertribal
 ,buffalo ,council2  7#d7 numerous      
members of ,indian tribes are involved  
in bison restoration on tribal land2    
7#e7 members of ,indian tribes have a   
combined herd on more than #a1jjj1jjj   
acres of tribal land2  7#f7 the         
,intertribal ,buffalo ,council is a     

tribal organization incorporated        
pursuant to section #ag of the ,act of  
,june #ah1 #aicd 7commonly known as the 
,indian ,reorganization ,act7 7#be      
,u4,s4,c4 #dgg72  7#g7 bison can play an
 important role in improving the types  
of grasses found in landscapes to the   
benefit of grasslands2  7#h7 a small    
group of ranchers helped save bison from
 extinction in the late #ahjjs by       
gathering the remnants of the decimated 
herds2  7#i7 bison hold significant     
economic value for private producers and
 rural communities2  7#aj7 according to 
the #bjab ,census of ,agriculture of the
 ,department of ,agriculture1 as of     
#bjab1 #afb1aaj head of bison were under
 the stewardship of private producers1  
creating jobs and providing a           
sustainable and healthy meat source     
contributing to the food security of the
 ,united ,states2  7#aa7 on ,december   
#h1 #aije1 ,william ,hornaday1 ,theodore
 ,roosevelt1 and others formed the      
,american ,bison ,society in response to

 the near extinction of bison in the    
,united ,states2  7#ab7 on ,october #aa1
 #aijg1 the ,american ,bison ,society   
sent #ae captive-bred bison from the    
,new ,york ,zoological ,park1 now known 
as the ,bronx ,zoo1 to the first        
wildlife refuge in the ,united ,states1 
which was known as the ,wichita         
,mountains ,wildlife ,refuge1 resulting 
in the first successful reintroduction  
of a mammal species on the brink of     
extinction back into the natural habitat
 of the species2  7#ac7 in #bjje1 the   
,american ,bison ,society was           
reestablished1 bringing together bison  
ranchers1 managers from ,indian tribes1 
,federal and ,state agencies1           
conservation organizations1 and natural 
and social scientists from the ,united  
,states1 ,canada1 and ,mexico to create 
a vision for the ,north ,american bison 
in the #bast century2  7#ad7 there are  
bison herds in ,national ,wildlife      
,refuges and ,national ,parks2  7#ae7   
there are bison in ,state-managed herds 

across #aa ,states2  7#af7 there is a   
growing effort to celebrate and         
officially recognize the historical1    
cultural1 and economic significance of  
the ,north ,american bison to the       
heritage of the ,united ,states2  7#ag7 
a bison is portrayed on #b ,state flags2
  7#ah7 the bison has been adopted by #c
 ,states as the official mammal or      
animal of those ,states2  7#ai7 a bison 
has been depicted on the official seal  
of the ,department of the ,interior     
since #aiab2  7#bj7 the buffalo nickel  
played an important role in modernizing 
the currency of the ,united ,states2    
7#ba7 several sports teams have the     
bison as a mascot1 which highlights the 
iconic significance of bison in the     
,united ,states2  7#bb7 in the #bnd     
session of the #aacth ,congress1 #bb    
,senators led a successful effort to    
enact a resolution to designate         
,november #a1 #bjad1 as the third annual
 ,national ,bison ,day2 and  7#bc7      
members of ,indian tribes1 bison        

producers1 conservationists1 sportsmen1 
educators1 and other public and private 
partners have participated in the annual
 ,national ,bison ,day celebration at   
several events across the ,united       
,states and are committed to continuing 
this tradition annually on the first    
,saturday of ,november4  #c4            
,establishment and adoption of the      
,north ,american bison as the national  
mammal  7a7 ,in general ,the mammal     
commonly known as the ,north ,american  
bison is adopted as the national mammal 
of the ,united ,states4  7b7 ,rule of   
construction ,nothing in this ,act or   
the adoption of the ,north ,american    
bison as the national mammal of the     
,united ,states shall be construed or   
used as a reason to alter1 change1      
modify1 or otherwise affect any plan1   
policy1 management decision1 regulation1
 or other action by the ,federal        
,government4  ,passed the ,house of     
,representatives ,april #bf1            
#bjaf4,karen ,l4 ,haas1,clerk  ,april   

#bg1 #bjaf,received2 read twice and     
placed on the calendar