BLM Moves to Push Bison Off Montana Public Lands Under Trump Administration Policy

The Trump administration is moving to cancel federal grazing permits that allow American Prairie to run bison on public lands in north-central Montana, escalating a long-running fight over ranching, wildlife conservation and who gets to use the West’s federal grasslands.

The Bureau of Land Management says the bison do not meet its new interpretation of livestock grazing rules under the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act because the herd is not managed for “production-oriented purposes.” American Prairie says the decision would end bison grazing on federal public land it has used with BLM permission since 2005.

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The dispute now carries national stakes. The same administration has moved to expand energy production on federal lands, weaken some wildlife protections, and push companies away from offshore wind projects.

For Montana ranchers, the move is a public-lands victory. For conservation and tribal bison advocates, it could set a precedent that narrows how public grazing lands can be used.

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