State of Montana Newsroom
Gov. Gianforte Praises BLM for Final Grazing Decision
Touts BLM decision as a “victory” for rule of law, farmers, ranchers
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today praised the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final decision to cancel grazing permits authorizing bison grazing previously issued to the American Prairie Reserve (APR).
“This final decision is a victory for the rule of law and the generations of Montanans who have stewarded our lands with care,” Gov. Gianforte said. “For far too long, the Biden administration ignored the clear language of the Taylor Grazing Act in favor of an ideological experiment. I’m proud of our administration for leading the fight to reach this decision and I thank Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and BLM for putting Montanans first.”
The decision marks a significant victory for agricultural producers and rural communities across Montana and the United States, reversing a prior federal authorization that allowed APR to graze non-production bison on over 63,000 acres of federal public lands. The final decision rescinds APR’s bison grazing authorizations, issues cattle‑only permits where appropriate, and provides for an orderly transition period for the removal of bison from public lands by Sept. 30, 2026.
The governor has long opposed BLM’s initial approval of the grazing permits, citing violations of the Taylor Grazing Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The State of Montana, along with local ranching families and organizations, argued that replacing production livestock with non-production bison damaged the local economy and ignored the statutory requirements for federal grazing permits.
In 2022, the Gianforte administration appealed the initial BLM decision, arguing that the permits exceeded the agency’s authority and that the federal agency failed to adequately analyze a number of issues, including the economic impacts on local communities, concerns regarding fencing and containment, and impacts to Montana’s state trust lands. The administration pointed out that many state trust lands are fenced “in common” with BLM lands, and that the permits resulted in unauthorized bison on those trust lands. Today’s final decision aligns with the governor’s call for federal agencies to coordinate with state officials and prioritize the stability of Montana’s number one industry.
In September 2021, Gov. Gianforte, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Montana Department of Livestock, and the Montana Department of Agriculture objected to BLM’s environmental analysis and proposed permit issuance, explaining the deficiencies and requesting the permits be denied. Despite these objections, BLM authorized the grazing change in July 2022.
In August 2022, Governor Gianforte and executive branch agencies appealed BLM’s authorization to the Department of Interior’s Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA), where the matter has persisted, unresolved. In December 2024, the Gianforte administration filed an action in federal district court, seeking review of OHA’s failure to stay the BLM decision pending its administrative appeal. In February 2025, the Governor wrote to Secretary Burgum asking him to assume jurisdiction and vacate the unlawful grazing permits.
In September 2025, Gov. Gianforte and the entire federal delegation wrote to Secretary Burgum, highlighting the stalled appeals process and explaining how the issuance of grazing permits to “rewilded” conservation bison undermines Montana’s production livestock industry and the law. Following the Secretary’s assumption of jurisdiction in December and remand to BLM, the agency issued the proposed decision to cancel the permits in January.
The final decision to cancel the leases can be viewed here.
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