Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, as well as all four members of the state’s federal delegation signed on to a letter last month claiming American Prairie’s bison restoration project is at odds with the state’s economy.

The five men sent the letter to Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota. The Interior Department holds decision-making power over grazing rights on Bureau of Land Management land, which under former President Joe Biden were granted to American Prairie in 2022.

The state, along with livestock industry groups, appealed the federal decision. Some ranchers have also expressed concern about added costs of having bison near their cattle, including fears of brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can spread between the animals.

“For us

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