UM LEGISLATIVE NEWS SERVICE TEAM
Debates are intensifying at the Montana Legislature over the
state’s management of North America’s largest land mammal: the American bison.
Some argue bison are a critical cultural, spiritual and
historical resource. Others argue bison pose a threat to the health and
well-being of cattle. Now, legislators are considering a number of bills that
would decide where bison are allowed to graze and which government entity gets
to make that decision.
Rep. Tyson Runningwolf, D-Browning is carrying one of those
bills. It would allow bison to be transferred from Yellowstone to the Fort Peck
Indian Reservation.
Bison populations were decimated in the early 1800s as Europeans moved West,
according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Native Americans had been
hunting bison for centuries. Their hides and meat were staple resources for
tribes, which became scarce when hunting bison became a sport, rather than a
necessity, for settlers.
Bison were nearly extinct when a small herd was moved to
Yellowstone National Park. The population revived.
In 2019, bison are confined to certain areas in the state.
Some ranchers feel strongly about keeping bison in these areas because they’re
carriers of brucellosis, a disease that affects bison, cattle, elk and humans.
It can lead to high rates of abortion in cattle, bison and elk.
Brucellosis cost cattle ranchers billions of dollars in the
last century, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Montana achieved
brucellosis-free status in 2002.
Researches have not been able to document a transmission of
brucellosis from bison to cattle in the wild, although it is possible.
According to the Department of Agriculture, more than 50 percent of bison in
Yellowstone have tested positive for the disease.
A private organization’s application for a bison grazing
permit in central Montana has led to anxiety and fear of possible damages.
Lawmakers are asking the federal government to deny the request.
House Joint Resolution 28 urges the federal Bureau of Land
Management to deny American Prairie Reserve’s request for a year-round grazing
permit that would cover land in Choteau, Fergus, Petroleum, Phillips and Valley
Counties. It passed the House 59-40 and was heard in a Senate committee.
The Bozeman-based conservation organization owns this land
and argues HJ 28 is an attack on private property rights. However, the lawmaker
sponsoring the bill says he believes bison grazing will affect private property
of ranches in the area.
Rep. Dan Bartel, R-Lewistown is carrying the resolution and
said it’s “critical to the well-being of Montana’s livestock and wildlife.”
Bartel said ranchers have implemented best practices for soil and grazing
management and that it would be counterproductive to allow this new grazing
permit.
The United Property Owners of Montana, the Montana
Stockgrowers Association, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation and the Montana
Wool Growers Association support the resolution.
Other bills include House Bill 332, which would give local
officials “a seat at the table” when it comes to deciding bison transfers into
Montana. House Bill 478 would revise laws related to transferring wild bison to
tribal entities, allowing bison to be transferred from Yellowstone to tribal
lands before the bison have received brucellosis-free certification.
Many voiced their opinions regarding proposed bills and
resolutions relating to bison management in the state. While some argue the
issue most closely relates to science and agriculture, others say that it has
to do with disease management, native rights and property rights.
While presenting his bill in committee, Runningwolf said,
“Our beautiful state is embroiled in a management conundrum.”
