Ups and Downs for Bison Restoration

 As noted earlier, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has solicited site-specific proposals for bison restoration and conservation in our state. Regrettably, our appeals to other major wildlife conservation groups to work jointly in preparing a proposal for restoring public, wild bison on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge were declined or ignored. Therefore, we have produced a draft proposal to develop a herd entirely within the UL Bend area of the Refuge, north of Fort Peck Reservoir. The herd would be allowed to grow up to 400 animals, contained within about 150 square miles of diverse habitat.

In the long term, 400 bison would not be a genetically adequate herd. But we are proposing this as a “test project” in which bison movements would be evaluated and FWP would test and demonstrate its ability to fund and manage the herd. Conservative hunting strategies would be tested after the herd reached 200 bison. Once the herd reached 400 animals, perhaps in 10 years, all results would be evaluated, with public input, and a decision on how to proceed would occur.

Being entirely within the CMR National Wildlife Refuge, with required monitoring of bison health by the state veterinarian, the project is intended to have no negative impacts on Montana ranchers.

However, United Property Owners of Montana (UPOM) have sued FWP and the state, claiming that the final impact statement and decision to solicit site-specific proposals, for yet more analysis and public review, has violated the Montana Environmental Protection Act. We believe the arguments are invalid. But the wheels of justice almost always move slowly, and this likely will stall efforts to restore a public, wild bison herd in Montana for at least a year. Meanwhile, FWP is not reviewing any submitted proposals.

Delay will allow UPOM and the Montana livestock industry to solicit legislation, in 2021, to forever prohibit any restoration of public, wild bison in Montana. A new governor could sign such new legislation, although it would be contrary to the Montana Constitution and would void previous legislated guidelines for bison restoration.

Most Montanans have little or no awareness of this situation. It is urgent to develop public recognition of the precarious status of bison conservation in our state. The Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition will do all it can in this regard. But there are many distractions in the public media this year. We implore readers to post bison information on personal websites and to promote forthright public discussion, especially by national and state organizations dedicated to wildlife conservation. 

 Jim Bailey