Our Strategy on Bison:

The Gallatin Wildlife Association's main goal concerning bison is to get free-roaming bison on public land, outside the boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Currently bison from Yellowstone National Park have a history of roaming out of the park during the late-winter months for warmer temperatures, less snowpack, and early-greening forage - trying to find their normal late-winter range. As a result bison are intensively hunted or captured and slaughtered, never having a chance to get firmly attached to the public landscape within Montana and outside the Park boundary. For more information on GWA's position, please see the links above or read the articles below.

For specific papers on Bison use these links or the links above with the same title.

1. Plains Bison - The Forgotten Species

http://www.gallatinwildlife.org/position-papers/our-strategy-on-bison/plains-bison-the-forgotten-species/

2. Restoration and Management of Wild Bison in Montana

http://www.gallatinwildlife.org/position-papers/our-strategy-on-bison/restoration-and-management-of-wild-bison-in-montana/

Montana Bison Restoration Coalition:

News Release -

Dallas Safari Club Supports Bison Coalition

The Dallas Safari Club Foundation has provided $5,000 to the Gallatin Wildlife Association as support for the Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition. Funds will be used toward the Coalition’s first goal: to disseminate information around Montana on issues and opportunities for restoring public, wild bison on and near the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Since 1972, Dallas Safari Club has been active in the conservation of wildlife and wilderness, education, and protecting rights and interests of hunters. Gallatin Wildlife and the Montana Wild Bison Restoration Coalition are pleased to be collaborating with them in achieving mutual goals. 

MISSION STATEMENT

The Montana Bison Restoration Project aims to enhance public awareness of conservation opportunities for wild, public bison in our state; and to establish a bison herd on public land and private land where bison are accepted, within and near the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
   

THE COALITION

The Montana Bison Restoration Coalition consists of individuals and organizations – conservationists, sportsmen and women, landowners and wildlife biologists – dedicated to returning genetically adequate numbers of wild bison to the state. We encourage respectful, public conversation with all stakeholders.

GOALS

1. Disseminate science-based information on opportunities for bison in Montana, especially: Adams and Dood (2011) Background Information on Issues of Concern for Montana: Plains Bison Ecology, Management and Conservation. (FWP).
2. Reestablish publicly owned, wild bison on and near the CMR National Wildlife Refuge.

MONTANA BISON

Currently, there is no herd of wild bison, year-round, in Montana.

In 2009, Fish, Wildlife & Parks initiated planning for reestablishing bison. A limited proposal that did not identify a reintroduction site, was developed in 2015, but there has been no decision to proceed.

Bison free of serious diseases that may pass to cattle are available from several sources for this project. FWP has rights to such bison now being cared for at Forts Peck and Belknap Reservations.

Bison in Yellowstone National Park are the only truly wild population of plains bison in the United States. The CMR National Wildlife Refuge is the best location in the country for establishing a second wild herd.

PARTICIPATE

For more information, please contact this website:  http://www.mtwildbison.org

or contact: jabailey34@aol.com