Montana Supreme Court Says Bison Move OK

Relocation of Yellowstone National Park buffalo to tribal lands in Montana does not violate private property rights says the state Supreme Court. The decision revitalizes conservation efforts to restore the iconic mammal of the American West to some of its former ranges. Ranchers have opposed the reintroduction of buffalo on grounds that the effort violated their private property rights arguing bison damage fences, eat hay meant for cattle, and spread disease to livestock. Predictably, a state court judge agreed with the influential pressure groups, and enjoined the transfer of more buffalo after the first sixty were transferred to Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Eleven bills were introduced into the state legislature against wild buffalo returning to Montana. These bills were defeated by conservationists.

The state Chief Justice said in the court's decision that relocation was a viable alternative to past practices involving Yellowstone bison that included slaughter of thousands of bison. The ruling allows for the immediate transfer of several dozen bison to the Fort Belknap Reservation. The return of "Tatanka" to the Indians' modern culture is very welcomed according to Robert Magnan, Fish and Game director for the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. Bison meat is a healthier source of protein than beef which could help reduce high rates of obesity and diabetes on the reservation. The animals have spent several years in quarantine on a Ted Turner ranch to ensure they are free from brucellosis. Other lands in Montana are suitable for bison relocation such as the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. More relocation to non-Indian land will not occur until the state wildlife agency completes a bison management plan due by the end of 2015, but "communistic planning" for restoring the buffalo to its proper place in the American West continues.