Comment on FR Doc # 2026-09387

It would be ludicrous for the BLM or for Montana DNRC to refuse renewal of American Prairie’s grazing leases for bison on federal and state lands. The only possible reasons for doing so are obviously political. After all, the American bison (aka buffalo) is the official national mammal of the United States. It was designated in 2016 under the bipartisan National Bison Legacy Act. That legislation formally recognized the bison's deep historical, cultural, and economic significance to the country, particularly in its relationship with Indigenous cultures and Tribal nations. This grand animal—once numbering upwards of 60 million—nearly went extinct by the late Nineteenth Century. Its amazing recovery through government and private conservation is celebrated as one of the greatest conservation success stories in U.S. history. Government agencies should consider management based on science and proven best practices, not politics. As a native keystone species, buffalo are important in maintaining a healthy prairie ecosystem. Both the BLM and Montana DNRC should evaluate grazing based on stewardship standards with equal fairness for cattle and bison alike. Managed bison grazing is part of Montana’s historic natural heritage and is compatible with other public land benefits such as wildlife conservation, recreation, public hunting tradition, and responsible grazing. Both the BLM and Montana DNRC should renew American Prairie’s bison grazing leases, which have been issued on public land for the past two decades of successful grazing. Also, the agencies should follow advice from land management experts who base decisions on science and positive health for the landscape. The multiple use mission requires that conservation is of utmost importance, and regulations limiting grazing leases only to ‘production-oriented livestock’ are unfair and based on politics. Finally, public agencies should preserve transparency in all decision making and offer opportunities for public input. Thank you.