(Continued from page 15)

elevate the Plains bison to a status similar to that of the iconic bald eagle with legislation to declare the burly beasts America's "national mammal."
• Bison advocates launched a "vote bison" public relations campaign Friday to coincide with the bill.
• The National Bison Legacy Act introduced in the Senate is backed by lawmakers from Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Rhode Island.
• The largely symbolic measure would provide no added protections for the estimated 20,000 wild bison in North America. And the bald eagle would still hold a somewhat loftier role as the national emblem, as declared by the Second Continental Congress in 1782.
• But supporters said the bison legacy bill would afford overdue recognition to a

species that has sweeping cultural and ecological significance. Bison -- North America's largest land animal -- already appear on two state flags and the official seal of the U.S. Department of Interior.
• "The North American bison is an enduring symbol of America, its people and a way of life," said Wyoming Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, chief sponsor of the bill along with South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson.
• Tens of millions

(Continued on page 17)