Vaccination of Yellowstone Bison

Purpose/Need Decision Alternatives Uncertainties Assumptions Available

Information Time frame

Purpose/Need

Purpose – Address NPS responsibility to advance the IBMP through in-park vaccination of free-ranging bison

Need – Through adaptive management, reduce reduce brucellosis infection rate of bisonbrucellosis infection rate of bison and decrease shedding BrucellaBrucella

Decision

The affected environment is Yellowstone National Park.

Whether to implement long-term remote delivery vaccination of bison park-wide

Remote delivery is defined as vaccination without capture and handling of individual animals.

Current remote vaccination technology focuses on a compressed air powered rifle that delivers a bio-absorbable projectile with vaccine in the payload compartment.

Alternatives

Alternative A – No Action

Per IBMP ROD, continue syringe vaccination of calves and yearlings captured at Stephens Creek for risk management and released back into the park in the spring

Alternative B – Young Bison Only

Continue syringe vaccination program at Stephens Creek and initiate long-term remote delivery vaccination of calves and yearlings

Alternative C – Young Bison and Adult Females

Continue syringe vaccination program at Stephens Creek and initiate long-term remote delivery vaccination of calves, yearlings, and adult females

Alternatives

Alternatives Eliminated from Further ConsiderationAlternatives Eliminated from Further Consideration

Remote delivery of vaccine that results in no detectable difference (e.g. S19)

Remote delivery that results in change in behavior or demography (e.g. helicopter darting)

Vaccination with killed vaccines (e.g. DNA)

Vaccination with ineffective remote delivery mechanisms (e.g. current oral and aerosol )

Alternatives

Elements Common to all Alternatives

Health, welfare, and conservation of bison

Safe and effective delivery system

Monitoring effects and effectiveness of vaccination

Adaptive management

Uncertainties

Will individual bison exhibit a sufficient immune response when vaccinated (e.g. variation across age and sex class)?

Can vaccine be delivered annually to a sufficient number of bison?

Will remote vaccination lead to long-term changes in individual and population-level bison behavior?

Will there be compounding effects of repeated vaccination?

Will long-term vaccination result in decreased disease prevalence at the population level?

Assumptions

Intermediate efficacy of RB51 vaccine

Not all eligible bison vaccinated each year

Not all vaccinated bison exhibit an immune response

With current vaccine and delivery technology, vaccination With current vaccine and delivery technology, vaccination effectiveness at the population level will be a long-term (e.g. effectiveness at the population level will be a long-term (e.g. 20-30 years) response 20-30 years) response

Vaccine technology may evolve to produce improved vaccine

Vaccine delivery technology may evolve to produce improved delivery effectiveness

Available Information

Wildlife vaccination literature review

Bison population demography and movements

Feasibility of remote delivery (accuracy trials, effects to muscle tissue from ballistic delivery, vaccine formulation)

Quantitative modeling of vaccination effectiveness

Available Information

Bison population demography and movements

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

Males per 100 females .

Central Herd

Northern Herd

`

Available Information

Feasibility of remote delivery (accuracy trials, effects to muscle tissue from ballistic delivery, vaccine formulation)

Group Size vs. Vaccination Success

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Group Size

% S

ucce

ss

Biobullet Groups 1200 psi long bullet

-400

-300

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

400

-200 -100 0 100 200 300 400

No Adjust

Target Area

40m1200Long

30m1200Long

20m1200Long

10m1200Long

Available Information

Quantitative modeling of vaccination effectiveness

Variables of Interest:

Seroprevalence

Infectious events

Vaccinated bison

Removed bison

Boundary and Remote of All

Boundary and Remote of C & Y

Boundary Vaccination of C & Y

10 Years

20 Years

30 Years

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

Alternatives

Brucellosis Seroprevalence Over 30 Years Under Proposed Alternatives

Time Into Program

Se

rop

reva

len

ce

16%

28%

35%

Brucellosis Seroprevalence Over 30 Years

Duration of Vaccination Program

10 yrs

20 yrs

30 yrs

Ser

op

reva

len

ce

Alternative A

Alternative B

Alternative C

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0

Time Frame

Internal agency review of Draft EIS – Winter 2008

Draft EIS released for public comment – Spring 2009

Content analysis and revision – Summer 2009

Internal agency review of Final EIS – Autumn 2009

Final EIS and Record of Decision – Winter 2010