American Prairie and Western Watersheds Project have each filed lawsuits challenging the Bureau of Land Management's revocation of six grazing permits covering more than 60,000 acres in eastern Montana, where American Prairie has grazed over 900 bison for two decades. The dispute hinges on the BLM's new interpretation of the Taylor Grazing Act requiring livestock use to be 'production-oriented,' which American Prairie says breaks from decades of precedent.
The group was ordered to remove its bison by September 30 and estimates it may need to cull at least 300 animals to comply, warning this could damage the herd's genetic diversity and create handling risks. The bison remain on the land for now while the litigation proceeds.
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