US approves bison grazing on Montana prairie amid criticism

By MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. officials have approved a conservation group’s proposal to expand bison grazing on prairies in Montana amid objections from some ranchers and elected officials. Wednesday’s announcement will allow the American Prairie to graze bison on U.S. Bureau of Land Management land in north-central Montana and to remove about 30 miles of fences so the animals can roam more freely. The group’s long-term goal is to piece together a 5,000-square-mile expanse of public and private lands with thousands of bison and other wildlife. Republican officials and some ranchers have fiercely opposed the group’s efforts.