HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte and two state agencies filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration to challenge Yellowstone National Park’s (YNP) Bison Management Plan.
Together with Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), Governor Gianforte is suing to halt the implementation of YNP’s Bison Management Plan. The complaint alleges that the adoption of the plan by the National Park Service (NPS) violates several federal laws.
“The National Park Service has repeatedly and consistently failed to engage with the State in a meaningful and transparent manner as required by law throughout the planning process,” Gov. Gianforte said. “NPS has not given us a fair shake and has ignored concerns raised by the State. We will always defend our state from federal overreach.”
The State of Montana has raised concerns about the Bison Management Plan since 2022, when NPS first announced its intent to draft a plan. In 2023, Gov. Gianforte criticized Yellowstone National Park’s bison management alternatives, citing YNP’s lack of cooperation with the State of Montana, deficient and misstated analysis, and failure to meet its own mandates.
“The Department of Livestock is committed to preventing, controlling and eradicating animal disease,” DOL Director Mike Honeycutt said. “Given the way NPS has ignored feedback from Montana, we have major concerns about potential threats to animal health from the possible spread of brucellosis.”
“Bison represent a complex and contentious issue with both livestock producers and wildlife advocates,” FWP Director Christy Clark said. “We had hoped for and asked for a better and more transparent process in developing this EIS. Those requests were ignored.”
Earlier this year, the governor sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and NPS leadership to express his disappointment with the agencies for a lack of cooperation, writing, “YNP has avoided substantive, collaborative discussions with the State’s scientists and technical advisors at every turn.”
The complaint may be viewed here.
