A Montana conservation herd has reached a new high of more than 1,000 bison, marking a milestone amid a legal dispute over the animals' access to public grazing land.
Here's what to know
American Prairie, a nonprofit seeking to establish the nation's most extensive wild-prairie landscape, recorded 1,016 bison during its annual calf count, according to an Instagram post by Grant Stoll (@grantonsoil).
The organization's reserve covers 603,657 acres in Montana, including 167,070 acres it owns and 436,587 acres of public land it leases. Access to public grazing land is, therefore, a substantial part of its restoration efforts.
The count marks the first time the herd has crossed the 1,000-bison threshold, but its access to three federal grazing allotments remains the subject of a legal fight involving the Bureau of Land Management. The animals can remain because a federal judge has put the removal order on hold.
More background
Bison historically numbered in the tens of millions across the prairie. According to the post, the population could be just 1% of its preindustrial size.
"Most conservation herds are small and fenced in, which hurts their genetic health and keeps them from roaming and shaping the land," Stoll explained.
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The role of public grazing land in prairie conservation, alongside its use for commercial agriculture, is at issue in American Prairie's work. Montana classifies the bison involved in that work as livestock, not wildlife.
What's being done?
The Bureau of Land Management canceled the nonprofit's permits to graze bison and ordered it to remove the herd from three federal allotments, according to the Instagram post, arguing that the law reserves public grazing land for commercial food and fiber production.
American Prairie's interpretation of the law received preliminary support from a federal judge, who found it very likely correct and paused the removal requirement on Sept. 4. The decision does not resolve the dispute.
American Prairie's efforts combine maintaining the bison herd with restoring grassland across its reserve. The permit fight will help determine whether that conservation work can continue on the disputed federal allotments.
One commenter wrote: "I am poorly educated regarding the use of federal lands. I think we all need to educate ourselves to ensure these lands are not abused."
Where can I learn more?
The fight over where these bison can graze raises questions about grazing rights, wildlife protection, and land management. These stories cover contested cattle grazing, Yellowstone wolves and trout, and court orders involving water and forest habitat.
• In Wyoming, a judge temporarily allowed cattle grazing on contested Bridger-Teton allotments.
• Yellowstone National Park's last original wolf pack emerged unscathed from hunting season.
• At Yellowstone's Buffalo Creek, officials poisoned invasive trout to protect native cutthroat.
• In Montana, a group won a court order halting psychiatric-facility construction over water questions.
• In Illinois, a judge halted a logging plan approved without a bat review.
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