NORTH RIM, Ariz. — Editor's note: The above video is from a 2017 story on bison reduction at the Grand Canyon National Park.
Soon there will be less bison roaming the Grand Canyon National Park and that's a good thing according to NPS biologists.
The bison population is booming.
"NPS biologists estimate that the herd has grown from approximately 100 bison, brought to the House Rock Valley in the early 1900s, to between 400 to 600 bison," according to NPS.
The park will move forward with plans to capture and remove about 60 to 100 bison on the North Rim this month.
Plans were initially set in motion in late 2018, but inclement weather put the removal on hold until this fall, according to a press release from NPS.
NPS says they have to reduce the bison herd for sustainability.
"Given the current distribution, abundance, density, and the expected growth of this herd, the National Park Service (NPS) is concerned about increased impacts on park resources such as water, vegetation, soils, archaeological sites, and values such as visitor experience and wilderness character. Reducing the herd size will protect the ecosystem, park resources and values," the statement reads.
The captured bison will be taken to the InterTribal Buffalo Council for distribution among Native American tribes who need live bison for their own herds.
"In future years, Grand Canyon National Park will provide opportunities for members of the public to participate in wildlife management activities via lethal removal following live capture and removal operations," the press release says.
Lethal removal would not take place in 2019. The details of those plans are still being worked out, according to a NPS spokesperson.