HELENA, Mont. —(AP)— A federal official is promising an increased effort to eliminate brucellosis from Yellowstone National Park buffalo.

Don Barry, acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks in the Department of Interior, says there is about $1.2 million available for additional research into the vaccine that has been at the center of federal-state efforts to manage the problem.

He also told Montana Gov. Marc Racicot that the government was willing to consider vaccinating animals with existing serums before scientists develop one that is proven effective. State officials have suggested that approach, speculating that the inexpensive shots may start building up immunity to brucellosis.

The Interior Department, Barry said, wants to demonstrate a "good-faith effort to show we're concerned about what the livestock industry is saying."

He said research should shift from studying disease transmission to developing an effective vaccine.

Brucellosis, which causes cows to abort their calves, is believed to infect about half the park buffalo. Ranchers fear that migrating buffalo will transmit the disease to cattle, ending brucellosis-free status for Montana and possibly Wyoming and Idaho, and significantly increasing their costs.

After killing 1100 buffalo two winters ago to keep them from ranging outside Yellowstone, state and federal officials were under a court order to limit the slaughter last winter and only 11 were killed.

A draft analysis of a new approach that includes quarantine facilities and an attack on brucellosis within the buffalo herd is due next month.

Barry said the federal goals for buffalo management are to eradicate brucellosis, find additional winter range and develop a strategy to manage park buffalo over the long term.