On January 16, 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the direction of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, issued a proposed decision to revoke seven grazing permits held by the American Prairie Reserve (APR) in Phillips County.
This action would cancel authorization for APR to graze bison on approximately 63,000 acres of federal public lands, reversing a 2022 BLM decision that had allowed the change from cattle to bison grazing.
The decision stems from the determination that APR’s bison, managed for conservation and public harvest rather than commercial production, do not qualify as “domestic livestock” under the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, which governs BLM grazing permits.
The permits in question had been in place since 2005, initially for cattle, before APR sought and received approval to switch to bison.
BLM’s move followed years of opposition from local ranchers, who argued the bison posed risks to livestock health, fencing, and traditional grazing practices, as well as legal challenges and intervention by Montana state officials.
Governor Greg Gianforte hailed the proposal as a “win for Montana’s ranchers, agricultural producers, and the rule of law,” criticizing it as a correction of federal overreach that prioritizes local communities and food production. Similarly, Attorney General Austin Knudsen supported the cancellation, stating it would protect the livestock industry and ranching communities in eastern Montana.
Groups like the Montana Beef Council and Montana Stock Growers Association echoed these sentiments, viewing it as a safeguard for public lands and traditional agriculture.
In contrast, APR CEO Alison Fox called the decision “unfair, deeply disappointing, disruptive, and inconsistent with long-standing public-lands grazing practices in Montana.” She emphasized that APR has grazed bison successfully for 20 years in compliance with all requirements, seeking only equal treatment under the law without special privileges.
Fox highlighted community benefits, including public bison harvests that feed Montana families and over $150,000 raised locally through harvest raffles in the past decade.
APR is currently reviewing the proposal and plans to advocate for an equitable grazing system.
The proposal is not yet final and includes a 15-day protest period before potential implementation.
This development reflects ongoing tensions between conservation efforts to restore native bison populations and concerns from the ranching community over land use and economic impacts in rural Montana.
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