And worse, it’s a sobering message to the thousands of Montanans who provide habitat to wildlife. FWP has made clear it would rather advance the agenda of a radical, out-of-state environmental group—the American Prairie Reserve—than give even the barest amount of credence to the virtually unanimous opposition to free-roaming bison from Montana landowners.
Chuck Denowh–Policy Director of the United Property Owners of Montana
OPINION: FREE-ROAMING BISON EIS DRAWS BATTLE LINES IN MONTANA
The Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks is now formally recommending the introduction of free-roaming bison in Montana after the release of a long-awaited environmental impact statement. It’s a move that dramatically intensifies conflict over wildlife management in Montana.
And worse, it’s a sobering message to the thousands of Montanans who provide habitat to wildlife. FWP has made clear it would rather advance the agenda of a radical, out-of-state environmental group—the American Prairie Reserve—than give even the barest amount of credence to the virtually unanimous opposition to free-roaming bison from Montana landowners.
Let’s be clear about who is driving this process. The APR derives nearly all of its support from outside Montana. They are pushing a radical plan to depopulate several million acres in central Montana, replacing those communities with a playground for their wealthy donors. In the process, their plan would remove a large chunk of Montana’s agriculture output from our state’s economy.
With the recommendation for free-roaming bison, FWP is signaling they’re a willing co-conspirator to the APR’s extreme agenda.
FWP’s recommendation goes directly opposite the policy mandated by Montana lawmakers just one year ago. In HJ 28, the Montana legislature established a clear policy opposed to free-roaming bison, citing concerns over damage to Montanans’ public lands, threats to wildlife populations, and costs that would be borne by private landowners and rural communities.
Fortunately, FWP lacks the legal authority to unilaterally force free-roaming bison to be introduced anywhere in Montana. But the fact they are so callously willing to thumb their nose at Montana’s policymakers brings into question what else they might attempt to do.
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