Richie Diesterheft / Wikimedia Commons
Why It Matters
A federal judge has rejected the federal government’s attempt to pause a lawsuit challenging the 2024 bison management plan for the Greater Yellowstone Area. The decision clears the way for litigation that could reshape how wildlife officials handle disease control and population management across one of the nation’s most significant conservation zones, affecting both ecosystem management and livestock interests across Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
What Happened
The U.S. District Court in Billings denied the federal government’s request to temporarily halt the consolidated lawsuit filed by the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Council on Fish & Wildlife. The groups filed their initial challenge in early January, alleging that the bison management strategy relies on scientific assumptions that no longer hold weight.
The lawsuit has been combined with a separate 2024 lawsuit filed by the state of Montana, which challenged the same federal plan on different grounds—specifically, that federal agencies failed to adequately consult with state officials before implementing the management strategy.
The Central Dispute
At the heart of the case is brucellosis, a disease that affects wildlife and livestock. About 60 percent of Yellowstone bison carry the pathogen, though only 10 to 15 percent are capable of transmitting it. Since 2010, Montana has recorded 15 brucellosis cases in livestock animals, with all suspected or confirmed cases traced to elk rather than bison.
Under the current management approach, federal authorities kill some bison outside park boundaries, while rounding up and hazeling others back into Yellowstone to control population growth and disease spread.
Mike Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, stated that “the bison management plan is based on outdated assumptions that thousands of bison need to be slaughtered to stop brucellosis infections in cattle.” He added that the court’s decision represents “a great step in the right direction—we need to base the management of our National Mammal on sound science.”
By the Numbers
- Approximately 20,000 bison are managed by the federal government across public lands in the region
- About 8,000 of those bison roam unfenced terrain managed federally
- Roughly 5,000 unfenced bison inhabit Yellowstone National Park itself
- Yellowstone could sustain up to 10,000 bison under current conditions
- Montana has documented 15 brucellosis cases in livestock since 2010, all linked to elk
What’s Next
With the pause request denied, the consolidated lawsuit will proceed through the federal court system. The case will test whether federal wildlife agencies must adjust their management practices based on updated scientific evidence and whether state governments have sufficient say in decisions affecting their borders and livestock industries.
The outcome could affect bison populations throughout the Greater Yellowstone Area and establish precedent for how federal land managers balance disease control, wildlife conservation, and state interests in the region.
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