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Committee advances bill to make Denver's tribal bison transfer program permanent

Parks, Arts and Culture Committee, Denver City Council · March 31, 2026
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Summary

Denver Parks and Recreation told the committee that its tribal bison transfer program — established by a 2021 ordinance with a 2030 sunset — would be made permanent by removing the sunset; presenters described the conservation and cultural work and said about 174 animals have been donated to tribal partners to date.

Shannon Denison, director of Denver Mountain Parks, asked the committee to advance council bill 26 0 4 2 2, which would rescind the ordinance's 2030 sunset and make Denver's program to transfer bison to American Indian tribes and tribal nonprofits a permanent policy.

Denison described the Denver herd as one of the oldest conservation herds in the United States and said the city's program has prioritized returning animals to tribal lands for cultural and ecological reasons. "To date, we've donated and transferred 174 animals," she said, and noted that transfers have been coordinated with the Denver American Indian Commission, the Tall Bull Memorial Council and the Intertribal Buffalo Council. She…

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