Wild Bison
- Threats to Montana Ranching?
Wild bison have been absent from northeast Montana for about
120 years. Their restoration in meaningful numbers would benefit
the native grassland ecosystem and provide new economic opportunities
from bison on the landscape.
But some perceive public wild
bison as a threat to traditional cattle ranching in Northeast
Montana. There have been alarming claims that “landowners
will be forced to have wild bison on their properties, be forced
to bear the cost of fencing bison out, or bear the costs of
damages from wild bison; and that hundreds of family farms,
ranches and entire communities will be eradicated”.
Some claims are clear exaggerations;
others demonstrate a lack of awareness of Montana law regarding
management of wild bison.
Opposition to wild bison has
deep roots. Ranching on the eastern plains goes back to homesteading
in the 1800’s. It provides a rare lifestyle opportunity
preferred by some – based on isolation, self-reliance,
outdoor exertion, and a sometimes fierce defense of family history.
It is appropriate and just that such opportunities persist in
the future diversity of lifestyles available to Americans. If
freedom equals access to a diversity of experiences, a loss
of such unique opportunities erodes freedom for future Americans.
But, due to persistent economic
problems in a changing world, independent family ranching has
been declining on the American Great Plains since the 1930s.
Small communities and local governments in ranching-dominated
counties have struggled as well. The decline continues today.
On the north side of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife
Refuge, Phillips County lost 9.4% of its population during 2000-2015.
Adjacent Valley County fared better, but lost 1.3%.
Bison restoration should not
be a scapegoat for this longstanding trend. Moreover, restoring
wild bison has great potential to provide new local and regional
economic opportunities and benefits (scholarworks.umt.edu/itrr_pubs/353).
Exaggerated opposition to bison should not be allowed to exclude
these possibilities, especially since 16% of Phillips County
citizens live below the poverty standard.
Montanans place value on an
enduring ranching lifestyle and have supported it in the state
constitution, and in laws, policies and budgets. Pertinent here
is law MCA 87-1-216 which will direct any future restoration
of wild bison in the state. This law constrains bison restoration
and protects private properties in several ways, including:
Fish, Wildlife & Parks
may not allow wild bison on any private or public land
that has not been authorized for bison use by the landowner.
FWP must commit to:
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“containing”
wild bison in designated areas; tracking bison movements;
expeditiously relocating bison that enter lands where
they are not authorized; controlling bison herd size as
necessary for containment or other purposes; and coordinating
with the Department of Livestock to ensure that bison
remain “disease-free”. |
FWP must identify long-term
funding to sustain bison management.
FWP will be liable for all
costs incurred for any damage to private property.
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A number of fence designs have been
used successfully to constrain bison. This one, having
one electrified wire with solar charging, halts bison
but allows other big game to pass.
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With this law, restoration
of meaningful numbers of public wild bison is unlikely on any
landscape interspersed with frequent plots of private land where
wild bison are not accepted. Consequently, the area including
and near the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, with
much contiguous public land, is the best location for bison
restoration on the Montana Great Plains.
In this area, it is envisioned
that public costs for managing bison, for protecting private
lands, and for compensating any unexpected damages, will be
relatively small, as the number of ranches affected would be
small. Further, the opportunity to raise needed funding from
bison-hunting license sales is large. In 2015, there were 10,424
applications for a low quality bison hunt near Yellowstone National
Park, with an expected successful draw of less than 1%. A high
quality Great Plains hunt would be even more attractive.
While ranches in the CMR Refuge
area are protected from financial losses by MCA 87-1-216, they
would also have new opportunities to participate in a developing
economy based on wild bison. In particular, there will be possibilities
for guiding and outfitting, or simply for a carcass retrieval
and processing service, on private and public lands. Other opportunities
based on tourism will also become available.