Bison rounded up in October from Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora will go to the Three Affiliated Tribes.

The tribe must first agree that park staff can make unannounced inspections for the next two years to check on the animals' health and circumstances.

The tribe has not yet signed the agreement. It also sets out certain conditions of feed and care of the bison.

The tribes did not get bison from last year's roundup in the park's North Unit because of poor pasture conditions and two years of allegations that animals were starved, injured and killed in the bison project feedlots.

The widely-reported allegations led to one bison employee being transferred and then released, and to an executive order that tribal employees could not give information to the media.

The park's bison have always gone to the tribes, except for last year. The new agreement will only be effective this year to give both agencies an opportunity to look at the outcome.

It'll be another three years before more bison are culled from the park.

Under the old agreement, the park did not have the right to check on the animals' progress.

Park spokesman Bruce Kaye said park staff toured the tribes' bison pastures and facilities two months ago and found improved bison range and lower bison numbers.

Kaye said the tribes have also reinstated their membership and working relationship with the Intertribal Bison Cooperative. The co-op is based in South Dakota and was the receiving agency for bison rounded up in the park last year.

If the tribe accepts the conditions, it will get 250 bison culled from the herd of 465 in the South Unit, Kaye said.

The roundup will begin Oct. 19 at the park's handling chutes north of Fryburg.

No one from the tribes' bison project was available for comment.

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511 or lauren@;westriv.com.)