Bison Restoration Guided by Science, Laws and Partnerships

Dear Editor,

After four years of analysis and public input, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued their proposed decision on American Prairie's application to restore bison across 63,000 acres of public lands in north central Montana.

As Director of Bison Restoration for American Prairie, it is my job to manage those bison as an ecological tool to benefit wildlife, protect our public lands, and improve the prairies where they graze. My team does this work by relying on sound science, following clear state and federal laws, and by honoring the strong working partnerships we have forged with our neighbors.

Sound science

Bison are a native grazer of Montana's prairies and coevolved with the region's native plants and grasses. American Prairie first reintroduced bison in 2005, and our bison have grazed public lands for well over a decade. In that time, we have shown, that when managed correctly, bison grazing benefits native wildlife, improves rangeland conditions, and restores riparian habitat.

Those observations have also been documented by wildlife biologists. A study published just last month in 'Frontiers of Ecology'showed bison restoration at the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and on our lands have already improved the abundance of native grasses, plants, and animals. According to that study:"...our results suggest that bison reintroduction, and a minimal intervention grazing management strategy, is associated with positive biodiversity outcomes in riparian habitats found within the Northern Great Plains."

We expect Montana's public lands will continue to benefit when bison are allowed to graze in a natural way and at the right density.

Clear laws

Grazing bison on public land is an established management tool. According to the BLM's preliminary decision, our application will improve land management and create better migratory conditions for elk, mule deer, and pronghorn. However, what is given can be taken away. Our grazing permits can be revoked if we fail to meet federal land health standards. Every public land grazer operates by these same rules and laws.

Every public land grazer also has the same right we do to request changes in grazing management by modifying federal grazing permits. Across the west, there is growing demand for this. A federal grazing program, called Outcome-Based Grazing, has shown that when you provide ranchers and lessees greater grazing flexibility, it encourages better drought response, more economic sustainability, and improves the health of our public lands.

Working Partnerships

When finalized, this decision will help us gradually grow our herd from roughly 800 animals to 1,000 animals over the next few years. By comparison, there are thousands of head of cattle who graze on American Prairie's land base and hundreds of thousands of cattle in north central Montana where we are located.

That's why it's more important than ever for American Prairie to uphold working partnerships with our neighbors and the local ranchers that we lease grass too. Specifically, we look forward to continuing to work with Phillips County to honor the terms of the disease management agreement we forged last year. That agreement expanded American Prairie's disease testing protocols and opened the door for more productive information sharing with local officials and producers.

The health of our herd is just as important to us as the agricultural communities of Montana. As we expand our bison herd, we will continue to be guided by sound science, clear laws, and working partnerships with our neighbors and local producers.

Sincerely,

Scott Heidebrink

Director of Bison Restoration for American Prairie