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A New National Mammal and a New Coalition

The President signed the National Bison Legacy Act on May 9, 2016 making the North American bison the official National Mammal of the United States. This is a great milestone for an animal that once faced extinction. The bison has played a central role in America's history and culture and helped shape the Great Plains and the lifestyle of Native Americans. Today, bison live in all 50 states and serves as a symbol of unity, resilience and healthy lifestyles and communities.

But our work isn't done yet. We need to spread the word that America’s got a new National Mammal. Our first step is changing our name to the American Bison Coalition (ABC). We've also got a new address on the internet, www.NationalMammal.org, and a new twitter handle: @BisonCoalition. Be sure to keep using #NationalMammal for your bison related posts.

The Vote Bison Coalition held a special reception at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian to celebrate the adoption of the North American bison as America's national mammal.
Join us in celebrating National Bison Day on November 5 by donning a #BeardsForBison. If you can't grown your own, visit BeardsForBison.org and print one of ours. Share a picture on social media to spread the word.
Native Americans carved this bison petroglyph into Wingate sandstone cliffs, now part of Utah's Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument. Today, tribal bison herds are managed on over 1 million acres of tribal lands, mostly in the west.
Bison are also found in national parks, wildlife refuges, state parks and on private lands. Additionally, bison production is an important economic driver in many states.
In 1907, support from companies like American Express made it possible for the society to send 15 bison by train to Oklahoma's Wichita Mountains Wildlife Preserve to help restore herds to the Western Plains.
As North America's largest mammal, bison provide one of the last evolutionary links to the Pleistocene era, a period (1.8 million to 11,550 years ago) when huge mammals dominated the landscape.
By designating the bison our national mammal, we'll help raise the profile of bison to the benefit of many different groups, including producers, conservation organizations, and tribes, while also honoring our national heritage.
The Wind River Ranch Foundation hosted a National Bison Day event in Las Vegas, NM, which drew the participation of nearly 150 people. (Nov. 2012) <b>©Wind River Ranch Foundation</b>
Boomer the Bison and students celebrated Bethany College's long-standing tradition as a bison community in honor of the first-annual National Bison Day. (Nov. 2012) <b>©Bethany College</b>
Cibola Farms offered bison trail sticks and information about raising bison at the National Bison Day celebration on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Nov. 2012) <b>©WCS</b>
The InterTribal Buffalo Council President (Ervin Carlson – right) and Executive Director (Jim Stone – left) visited Washington, DC, and asked Congress to support making bison the National Mammal of the United States. (July 2012) <b>©WCS</b>
Attendees painted bison murals at the National Bison Day celebration in Las Vegas, NM. (Nov. 2012) <b>©Wind River Ranch Foundation</b>
Along with bison burgers and bison-shaped cookies, attendees of the National Bison Day celebration in Washington, DC, each received a small, stuffed bison. (Nov. 2012) <b>©WCS</b>
Representative Don Young (AK-At Large) [2nd from left], who is a cosponsor of legislation to designate bison as the National Mammal of the United States, met with representatives of the Wildlife Conservation Society. (Jan. 2013) <b>©Office of Rep. Don Young</b>
Senator Enzi (WY) [far right], the author of legislation to make bison the National Mammal of the United States, met with representatives of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, National Bison Association, and Wildlife Conservation Society. (Feb. 2012) <b>©WCS</b>
Senator Hoeven (ND) [3rd from right], a cosponsor of legislation to make bison the National Mammal of the United States, met with representatives of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, National Bison Association, and Wildlife Conservation Society. (Feb. 2012) <b>©WCS</b>
Students had an opportunity to color pictures of bison during Bethany College's National Bison Day celebration. (Nov. 2012) <b>©Bethany College</b>
Over 200 people attended the National Bison Day event on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, which featured Teddy Roosevelt of the Washington Nationals' Racing Presidents in recognition of President Roosevelt's leadership in saving bison from extinction. (Nov. 2012) <b>©WCS</b>
The Wildlife Conservation Society hosted the first-annual National Bison Day celebration in Washington, DC, which had over 200 attendees. (Nov. 2012) <b>©WCS</b>
Bison and the National Park Service Centennial

The ABC is excited to join the National Park Service as it celebrates its Centennial this year. You can be part of the fun! Tweet, post or send us your best pictures and stories about bison you’ve seen at national parks and elsewhere using the hashtag #NationalMammal!

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