Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has taken over jurisdiction of three American Prairie grazing rights cases. According to a memo from the Western Ag Network, these cases involve bison grazing on federal land in Phillips County. Previously under the Bureau of Land Management, the appeals have been pending for over three years.
In September, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and the state’s federal delegation requested Burgum to further assess the situation. The Interior Department and the Governor’s Office have not commented on Burgum’s decision or the influence of the request. The letter expressed concern that American Prairie was attempting to remove large areas of land from agricultural use, raising fears among ranchers about potential conversion into a National Park.
American Prairie argues their work supports economic growth, leasing land to cattle producers, contradicting claims in the September letter. “The claim that American Prairie ‘threatens the economic vitality’ of the state, is on its face absurd,” stated spokesperson Pete Geddes. The organization insists its actions are legal under federal law, which doesn’t ban conservation grazing. American Prairie is also suing the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation over a related state grazing permit.
American Prairie, welcoming Burgum’s involvement, hopes for a swift resolution. “We’re looking forward to the secretary making a decision in this case after more than three years of it being tied up in administrative court,” said spokesperson Beth Saboe. The prolonged appeals process undermines integrity, Saboe noted, emphasizing the need for consistent application of public-lands grazing standards.
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