American Prairie wants to create a 3 million-acre nature preserve in the grasslands of northeastern Montana. Their plan includes reintroducing bison on that land.
To do so, they asked the BLM to approve grazing leases for bison instead of cattle. Federal officials approved that request in 2022. That decision received intense pushback and was appealed by several groups, including the State of Montana.
Now the BLM is overturning that decision. The federal agency argued American Prairie manages the animals as “wild bison” and that does not qualify them as “production livestock.” As a result, they do not meet the statutory requirements for grazing leases.
In a statement, American Prairie CEO Alison Fox called the decision arbitrary and unfair. She noted it has had permission to graze bison on BLM land since 2005. Those prior leases will be impacted by this change.
Gov. Greg Gianforte praised the decision, calling it a win for local ranchers. A spokesperson for the American Prairie says they could appeal it and are currently considering all options.
