Mission Statement for Save the Bison

Midwest SOARRING Foundation's purpose for creating the Save the Bison project is to encourage re-population in the state of Illinois. This herd will also serve as a symbol of indigenous people's endurance and strength to survive.

How You Can Help

Each bison costs MSF $1.00 per day for upkeep. Each bison we add to our herd also adds to our expense. Currently we have seven bison. Support the Midwest SOARRING Foundation's endeavor to preserve the magnificent bison:

1) Please Make Gift Checks Payable to: Midwest SOARRING Foundation Send to: 3013 South Wolf Road #192 Westchester, IL 60154 *Please indicate Bison Fund on the memo portion of your check.

Saturday, May 5, 2007
Race Starts at 8:00am
Race Fee $20 (includes t-shirt and race packet)
All registeration fees go to the Bison Program!

History

The bison is a truly magnificent animal. Estimates of the pre-European herd size vary from 30,000,000 to 70,000,000 animals with a range that included most of North America.

With the immigration of settlers into the prairies of North America, the bison's numbers dwindled to a fraction of their original numbers. With the slaughter of bison by settlers for sport in the 1800s the bison neared extinction. Many Indigenous Nations fiercely resisted relocation to reservations so the United States Army began to also kill the bison in the mid 1800s. Elimination of the bison would spell the end of the Indigenous people who depended upon them for survival. Disease brought to this continent from foreign domestic animals, also contributed to the reduction of the species.

The first bill to save the bison was introduced in Congress in 1874. By 1889, fewer than 1,100 bison remained in the United States and Canada. Today, there are approximately 200,000 bison in North America, although most of them are still found only in managed or ranched herds. Although their roaming area is barely a fraction of its original size, bison numbers have steadily increased over the years. The future for the bison has greatly improved.

The Midwest SOARRING Foundation seeks to continue to be apart of securing the future of this beautiful animal. In September of 1999 with the help of a donation, we were able to save the life of a 4 year old bison. This bison was named "Broken Horn" and became the first bison of a planned indigenous herd of 20-30 bison.

Future

With approximately 50 acres near Carlinville, Illinois the Midwest SOARRING Foundation plans to lay the foundation for a bison herd that will be used to educate groups and individuals on the importance of environmental awareness and conservation. We hope you join us in making this vision a reality.

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MSF Bison Photographs: