Yellowstone National Park’s bison population, a conservation success story, has entered 2025 amidst fresh controversy. Montana has filed a lawsuit against the park’s recently implemented bison management plan, setting the stage for another legal battle over the iconic animals.
The lawsuit, filed on December 31, 2024, alleges that the National Park Service (NPS) failed to adequately consult with the state and disregarded concerns raised by Montana officials, particularly regarding brucellosis transmission risks to livestock.
Montana Challenges Yellowstone’s Bison Management Plan
Gov. Greg Gianforte, along with the Montana Department of Livestock and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, are plaintiffs in the suit. They argue the plan, which allows for a larger bison population and greater tolerance for their presence outside park boundaries, poses a threat to Montana’s livestock industry.
The state seeks to halt the plan’s implementation and compel the NPS to revise it with greater state input. This legal challenge comes despite the considerable public comment period during the plan’s development, with over 27,000 contributions received.
The new plan aims to manage the Yellowstone bison herd at a population between 3,500 and 6,000 animals, up from the previous target of approximately 3,000.
Bison Conservation: A Complex Balancing Act
Yellowstone’s bison represent the largest population on public land in the U.S. and are genetically significant as the only continuously wild population in the lower 48 states.
These animals are descendants of a small group that survived near extinction in the park at the turn of the 20th century. Their presence in Yellowstone plays a vital role in maintaining the park’s ecosystem.
Managing the growing population is challenging, however. The bison’s natural migratory behavior leads them to seek winter forage outside park boundaries, creating potential conflicts with livestock and raising concerns about the spread of brucellosis, a disease that can infect cattle.
While there are no documented cases of direct bison-to-cattle transmission, the fear persists.
The Future of Yellowstone Bison
The lawsuit throws uncertainty over the future of bison management in Yellowstone. While the Bison Conservation and Transfer Program, established in 2019, continues to relocate animals to tribal lands as an alternative to culling, the legal dispute highlights the ongoing tension between conservation goals and the interests of the livestock industry.
The outcome of this lawsuit could have major impacts on the Yellowstone bison population and on how wildlife is managed in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. As 2025 begins, the future of Yellowstone’s iconic bison hangs in the balance.