American Prairie today condemned the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final decision to revoke grazing permits that have supported the organization’s bison herd on public lands in north-central Montana for the past 20 years, calling the move a politically motivated reversal that threatens decades of established public land management practice and jeopardizes bison restoration efforts nationwide.
The decision overturns BLM’s own 2022 authorization allowing American Prairie’s bison to graze on approximately 63,000 acres of public land after a lengthy environmental review and years of agency defense of the permits in administrative proceedings.
“This decision abandons decades of consistent federal policy and extends far beyond American Prairie,” said Alison Fox, CEO of American Prairie. “By reversing decades of precedent, BLM is creating uncertainty for tribal buffalo restoration, conservation partnerships, and public lands grazing management nationwide. The agency’s action is arbitrary, shortsighted, and contrary to its own longstanding interpretation of federal grazing law.”
Fox went on to say, “American Prairie has lawfully grazed bison on BLM lands for more than 20 years, complying with every rule, regulation, and permit requirement. BLM lawfully issued these permits and recognized that bison are qualified to graze on federal lands under longstanding practice and law. Reversing course now under political pressure undermines trust in the agency’s decision-making and threatens the future of bison restoration across the West.”
For more than 40 years, BLM has issued livestock grazing permits for bison, including permits held by tribal nations, conservation organizations, and private livestock producers across multiple western states. American Prairie and its legal representatives argue that the agency’s reversal conflicts with longstanding federal practice and could place dozens of existing bison grazing permits at risk.
The decision has drawn strong opposition from Tribal governments and Indigenous organizations, including the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT), which represents more than 50 Tribal nations. Tribes have warned that excluding bison from federal grazing permits could undermine treaty rights, food sovereignty, cultural revitalization efforts, and the continued restoration of buffalo herds across Indian Country.
“This final decision by the BLM makes it clear that this is an all-out attack on conservation. It is a textbook example of the government moving the goal posts and changing the rules in the middle of the game to reach a predetermined outcome,” said Mary Cochenour, attorney for American Prairie. “There have been no grazing violations, and the administrative record contains objective evidence showing that rangeland conditions have improved over the last two decades with bison on the landscape.”
Cochenour said the agency’s reversal required a novel interpretation of the Taylor Grazing Act and introducing new anti-bison and anti-conservation provisions in order to justify rescinding the permits.
“This decision is not grounded in resource damage, permit violations, or failed stewardship,” Cochenour added. “It reflects a political effort to target bison conservation despite overwhelming evidence that American Prairie has responsibly managed these lands for years.”
American Prairie filed a formal protest to the BLM’s proposed decision in February and is evaluating all legal options in response to the decision.
American Prairie emphasized that its bison herd currently stands at around 940 animals, and the program has operated under rigorous management standards, including fencing, disease testing, and coordination with neighboring landowners and agencies. At the same time, the organization works directly with local cattle producers, leasing the majority of its land, more than 500,000 acres to 25 ranching families who run approximately 8,000 head of cattle.
The organization also noted that bison from its herds have helped support Tribal buffalo restoration and food sovereignty efforts across the country.
“Bison are a vital part of America’s natural and cultural heritage,” Fox said. “This decision sends the wrong message at a time when Tribal nations, conservationists, and communities are working together to restore this iconic species to the landscape.”