U.S. Bureau of Land Management

Since 2001, American Prairie has worked to create the largest wildlife reserve in the lower 48. That plan includes grazing 900 head of bison on state and federal lands. But legal seesawing between land managers, government agencies and American Prairie has put that plan into limbo. MTPR’s Victoria Traxler sat down with the Billings Gazette Outdoors Editor Brett French to learn where things currently stand for American Prairie bison, and what may come next.

Infighting continues in the Montana Republican Party as a new set of bylaws for party members comes under scrutiny in district court. A Montana state senator charged with official misconduct faces a jury trial that started Tuesday. More than 100,000 people responded to a proposed overhaul of federal grazing regulations.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed President Trump’s nominee to lead the country’s largest land management agency. Stevan Pearce has been criticized by public lands advocates for his past support of selling off or transferring ownership of federal lands.

A judge dismisses a challenge to the 2024 initiative that enshrined abortion access in Montana’s Constitution; The BLM revokes bison grazing permits for American Prairie reserve; USDA grants an extension for rural water system program.

The nominee to lead the country’s largest land management agency had his Senate confirmation hearing last week. The hearing centered around the nominee’s track record supporting the sale of federal public lands.

The Bureau of Land Management announced its decision Friday to cancel key bison grazing permits for American Prairie, which is working to build a 3 million-acre nature reserve in northeastern Montana.

A nonprofit nature reserve in Montana is suing the state. American Prairie argues the state needs to decide whether to grant their six-year-old request for permits to graze bison on state lands.

Congress has voted to overturn part of the federal management plans for millions of acres of BLM lands in eastern Montana. The development of the Miles City plan involved mineral owners, industry groups, landowners, ranchers, farmers, hunters and 17 tribal nations.

The Bureau of Land Management under President Biden decided to end the sale of new coal leases in an area spanning across southeastern Montana, northeastern Wyoming and parts of South Dakota. Montana Rep. Troy Downing carried a joint resolution to reverse that decision. That resolution passed in the House late last week.

Briefs: Polson medical center expansion will double primary care services; Montana launches teacher apprenticeship program; Public comment opens on proposed BLM oil and gas leases; FWP urges anglers to kill and report brown trout caught on the Flathead River.