The Battle For The Soul Of Central Montana Is On

Dear Editor,

In the next few weeks, it is believed that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be releasing its Record of Decision (ROD) on the American Prairie Reserve's (APR) application for bison grazing in south Phillips County. Based on the language in the draft Environmental Assessment BLM released last year, it is likely that BLM will approve some form of APR's application for bison grazing on its federal allotments.

BLM's anticipated decision comes as no surprise given the multiple pronouncements by BLM's leaders that they have no choice but to approve APR's grazing request. It smacks of a rubber stamp decision that avoids the provisions of governing regulations and laws. One can only wonder about the utility of a public process that has a predetermined decision tagged to it.

BLM is doing a minimalist assessment here in an effort to avoid analysis of the big picture in play that happens to be APR's agenda to create a multimillion acre wildlife reserve in central Montana. Such a shallow, if not biased, approach enables BLM to avoid the need for an assessment of the real economic impacts and the long term cumulative effects posed by the establishment of a wildlife reserve in the heart of farm and ranch country.

If BLM's proposed decision stands, it will be one of the most controversial if not illegal judgments ever made on federal land. It will be precedent setting for the west and green light the ability of non-profit organizations to take operational control over huge tracts of land in Montana and the west.

So, why has this grazing assessment taken BLM over three years to complete? There are many reasons but the latest excuse is believed to center on grazing regulations that provide for only "interested parties" to comment on/protest the ROD. To define "interested party," BLM will reportedly be providing guidance via registered letter to those who are deemed to have submitted "substantive comments" to BLM during the EA process, thereby qualifying them as an interested party. Exactly how this will work is still a mystery.

The good news is a few smart people in central Montana have documented an array of regulatory failings and misinterpretation of statutes and administrative processes by BLM that govern bison grazing on federal land. That long list of deficiencies will be used to challenge BLM's likely favorable grazing decision for APR. The summary line is BLM has bungled this process from day one.

The battle for the soul of central Montana is at stake here and in order to prevail, farm and ranch organizations, area landowners, and elected officials will need to join the effort to counter BLM's likely decision to enable APR to stuff a wildlife park in our region. Both administrative and legal challenges are at the ready but financial support from area landowners and their communities will be needed in the coming year to secure a positive legal remedy for those who live and operate in APR's target area.

Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Ron Poertner

Winifred, Mont.