Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Tribal bison restoration draws praise and complaints as state agencies spell out jurisdiction
Summary
Tribal leaders told the Select Committee on Tribal Relations that bison restoration on Wind River supports culture, ecology and local jobs; ranchers and state agencies warned of trespass, fence damage and legal confusion when animals stray onto deeded (non‑trust) land.
Jason Bridal, an Eastern Shoshone member who works with the National Wildlife Federation, summarized a decade of tribal work to restore bison to Wind River Reservation lands and argued restoring the animal is a treaty, cultural and ecological priority for tribes. "We believe access to Buffalo is a treaty right," Bridal told the Select Committee on Tribal Relations.
Bridal and other tribal speakers said the Intertribal Buffalo Council and partner organizations delivered genetically important animals from refuges and conservation herds and built infrastructure and youth programs to support a sustainable herd. They said more than $10 million has been raised to buy fee land to expand habitat and eventually roll that land into trust status for the tribes.
Ranchers and some county residents described recent incidents in which bison crossed onto…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
