. Bison are important to other groups as well. To hunters, they are a trophy animal; to cattle ranchers, bison have historically represented competition with livestock for limited forage; and to many animal rights activists, they are an aesthetic and historic resource. Written comments collected from the Interim Bison Management Plan/Environmental Assessment in 1995 indicated the public was strongly against the slaughter of bison. Ranchers also indicated strong feelings on the need to protect cattle from brucellosis. These are moralistic-humanistic and utilitarian values, respectively (see the
. Bison are important to other groups as well. To hunters, they are a trophy animal; to cattle ranchers, bison have historically represented competition with livestock for limited forage; and to many animal rights activists, they are an aesthetic and historic resource. Written comments collected from the Interim Bison Management Plan/Environmental Assessment in 1995 indicated the public was strongly against the slaughter of bison. Ranchers also indicated strong feelings on the need to protect cattle from brucellosis. These are moralistic-humanistic and utilitarian values, respectively (see the "Socioeconomics" chapter, "Social Values" section of this document for definitions). No systematic surveys have been conducted, but it appears that alternatives relying on slaughter (1, 4, 5, 6, and 7) would have a minor to major adverse impact on those having strong moralistic-humanistic values toward animals. Attitudes in the Yellowstone region would be more balanced between utilitarian and other attitudes than in the nation as a whole (based on wolf recovery information). Native American values may be more complex, as many of the management actions are viewed as disrespectful or wasteful of bison. Nonmarket Values. People place value on knowing a species is maintained in a viable state or has been augmented in some way. In a study involving elk winter range north of Yellowstone National Park, those surveyed found the benefit of a land purchase to benefit elk far outweighed actual land acquisition costs. This "nonmarket" or "existence" value applies to bison as well, and although no studies specific to bison were conducted, alternatives 2, 3, and 7 could potentially have large nonmarket value benefits associated with expansion of bison winter range, on the order of $ to $ million annually. Additional nonmarket values attributable to the opportunities to view natural wildlife popula- tions, or for recreational opportunities, cou
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