Bison restoration efforts and grazing rights hinge on one question: Are bison wildlife?

By Madison Stevens, Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, Montana State University
Elizabeth (Libby) Lunstrum, Associate Professor, School of Public Service, Boise State University

Bison are political animals. A federal decision to revoke grazing leases for bison on public lands on the rolling plains of eastern Montana is the latest manifestation of long-standing contention. The largest land animal in North America, bison are considered a “keystone” species, meaning they have high ecological and cultural importance.

The May 2026 decision represents a significant setback for a decades-long…

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