Bird watchers, hunters, ranchers and tourists who now have access to open fields in Montana should beware!
If the federal government grants preferential treatment toward bison at the behest of a well-endowed, politically well-connected conservation group, average citizens will lose out according to critics of a proposed change to grazing permits.
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management is currently hearing public comments on a proposal from the American Prairie Reserve, a nonprofit group based in Bozeman, Mont., that would alter the current structure of grazing permits across the eastern part of the state. The comment period ends Monday, June 11.
The American bison, also known as buffalo, is among the largest land animals in Americas. A National Geographic profile of the creature says they can range from 5 feet to 11 feet tall and can weigh anywhere from 900 to more than 2,000 pounds.
Despite their size and weight, bison are nimble, agile creates that can jump fences and run at high speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. They are also one of the most dangerous animals humans can encounter. Just a few weeks ago, a buffalo charged a woman in Yellowstone National Park, forcing her from a trail.
The bottom line is that it costs a pretty penny in the form of electric fencing to keep bison penned into certain areas. America Prairie Reserve, which seeks to “create the largest nature reserve in the continental United States,” is in possession of private property linked with 18 BLM grazing allotments in Phillips, Chouteau, Fergus, Petroleum, and Valley counties.
The nonprofit group, which is also known as APR, is asking the feds to change the classification of livestock on the land from cattle to bison and to authorize season-long grazing for the bison. If BLM approves the proposal, many existing fences would be replaced with electric fences at taxpayer expense. Those same taxpayers who are birdwatchers, hunters, or hikers will find that electric fencing will intrude upon their activities since the fencing could cut off access to public lands.
Marko Manoukian, the secretary-treasurer for the Phillips County Livestock Association, has submitted comments to BLM that cite the Taylor Grazing Act. He makes the point that under the terms of the Act allotments are to be used for livestock grazing that include cattle, sheep, horses, goats, and burros. But not bison. “Send me any legislation that Congress has canceled the Taylor Grazing Act or rescinded these definitions,” Manoukian said in his comments.
Another major point of contention concerns “passive, continuous, season long grazing” defined as grazing that occurs throughout the growing period without any limit on the amount, duration, or distribution of livestock in a certain area. Manoukian references government documents in his comments that describe how damaging this process can be to riparian areas.
APR formed in June 2001 and grew out of conservation initiatives that were originally conceived through the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund. The most recent available 990 tax records for 2016 show the group with more than $50 million in net assets.
Vicki Olson, a Phillips County rancher who also chairs the Montana Public Lands Council, is ardently opposed to the American Prairie Reserve’s proposal. She told me there is “strong grassroots opposition” against the proposal. She points to signs spread across the town of Malta that read “No Free Roaming Bison.” But, at the same time, Olson is concerned that the nonprofit group has curried favor with government officials who will make the final determination.
“If this proposal goes through Malta will not survive,” she said. “Without the ranchers we have no community and this proposal to allow for free ranging bison all year round will be detrimental not just to ranchers but to the whole range. Right now, we have young people moving back into town and other towns are jealous of what we have. But this will all change if American Prairie Reserve gets its way. This group is not a good neighbor.”
For its part, APR has posted an online list of “frequently asked questions” about its bison proposal with detailed answers. The policy change is needed, the nonprofit group argues, because its bison herd needs access to group’s leased public land to reach its population goals for the herd.
Betty Holder, the land manager for APR, addressed the concerns about her group’s proposal in an email. American Prairie Reserve purchased its property from cattle ranchers who were “willing sellers in a free market system,” she explained. The group’s bison are contained in its grazing allotments and deeded land and have lived with neighboring cattle since 2005 without harming any of the cattle, Holder said.
With regard to the fencing costs, Holder told me that “APR pays all costs for the construction and maintenance of electric fence.” Montana has a rule that says adjacent neighbors are each responsible for 50 percent of fence maintenance for shared fences, she explained.
“Once APR has installed electric fence they assume all maintenance responsibility, alleviating the neighbors of the typical 50 percent maintenance responsibility,” she said.
While APR insists its proposal is cost effective and manageable, a number of Montana residents remain highly skeptical.
Critics such as Olson, for instance, see a danger to their livelihood and the livelihood of friends and neighbors who depend on upon grazing of livestock for a living.
“People have filled the auditoriums during public comment periods to make their voices heard in opposition to this proposal,” she said. “But you have to wonder if anyone in BLM is listening to us given how much influence this one group seems to have.”
The electric fencing remains a major sticking point for Manoukian, the Phillip County Livestock Association official.
“The installation of an electric fence over this sizable area will impact wildlife and will make these allotments single use to the desires of APR,” he said in his comments. “This violates the Multiple Use mandate for BLM to manage under.”
Kevin Mooney (@KevinMooneyDC) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is an investigative reporter in Washington, D.C. who writes for several national publications.
