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Group meets tomorrow to discuss managing ungulates YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - A group of scientists and policy makers studying management policies for elk, deer and bison in Yellowstone National Park is expected to meet Saturday in Mammoth Hot Springs. The Committee on Ungulate Management was appointed by Congress in January to spend two years studying policies that have been criticized by some scientists as being ineffective. Under the strategy, the park allows herd sizes to be determined naturally through factors including range conditions, competition, foraging, predator attacks and winter. But elk and bison populations have grown dramatically, particularly because of recent mild winters. Some scientists contend too many animals could increase the risk of disease among animals and eventually destroy the ecosystem. For two years, the group is expected to review the science used in managing the animals and what affect the management policies are having. Since 1969, the National Park Service has managed the animals naturally rather than rely on hunting and other means of intervention. The agency stopped trapping and hunting elk after populations dwindled to less than 5,000 in the northern range. According to federal figures, up to 17,000 elk live in the northern range this year and about 120,000 elk live in the Greater Yellowstone Area. About 2,400 bison live in the park. Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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