The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages more than one-third of the nation’s public lands, including more than 8 million acres here in Montana. In recent weeks, actions have been taken to remove native bison — our national mammal — off of BLM public lands, to rollback a rule that would have given conservation a seat at the table in land management decisions, to ease grazing regulations on 155 million acres, reduce royalties paid by oil and gas developers, and to allow the use of sodium cyanide poisoning by government agencies – a practice previously banned because it was indiscriminate killing people’s pets and other wildlife.
Much of this is being done under the guise of supporting ranchers, but what many ranchers really want is for the cost of fuel and fertilizer to go back down, and for this administration to stop promoting imported beef over American-raised protein.
At the same time, Steve Pearce, a former oil executive and noted opponent of public lands, was confirmed by the Senate to be the next Director of the BLM. Both Senators Daines and Sheehy voted to confirm Pearce despite polling showing that 75% of Montanans opposed his nomination.
This comes just a few weeks after Montana’s BLM State Director left the agency. We can’t blame her. She is one of many experienced public servants leaving an agency that, because of DOGE-driven cuts, funding reductions, and political upheaval, is losing staff, institutional knowledge, and capacity at a dangerous pace.
Let’s look closer at these recent actions.
Bison
Bison are native, beneficial grazers. In Montana, they are also defined as livestock under state law. The bison at issue are managed like a production herd: they are fenced, tagged, vaccinated, and subject to grazing fees that generate direct economic value from undeveloped public lands.
It should not matter whether those bison are ultimately sold, hunted, donated, or valued as part of Montana’s wildlife and tourism economy. But because these bison belong to the controversial American Prairie (AP), it has mattered a great deal.
Despite American Prairie enrolling 82,000 acres of their lands for hunting in Block Management, leasing the vast majority of their deeded lands to traditional, cattle-grazing producers, and the fact that cattle outnumber bison 8-to-1 on AP’s lands and leases, their organization and their bison continue to be in the crosshairs of our entire Montana delegation and the Governor.
The BLM’s decision to renege on AP’s lease agreements and remove ecologically beneficial grazers from public lands will have unintended consequences that stretch far beyond the prairie. The decision is likely to be appealed, and taxpayers may ultimately bear the cost of defending a politically driven reversal.
Public Lands Rule
Contrary to what this administration would have us believe, our BLM lands do not exist solely for industry’s benefit. On the contrary, the long-standing directive of these lands is for multiple use and sustained yield of our natural resources, for both present and future generations.
In 2024, the Conservation & Landscape Health Rule, more commonly known as the Public Lands Rule, went into effect. Championed by conservationists and supported by 92% of the public comments, the Rule acknowledges conservation as a legitimate use and value of our shared public lands. This is increasingly important as Montana and the West grapple with significant challenges like growing recreational use, invasive species, wildfires, and droughts.
But, as of this month, the new rule is now officially rescinded, and these lands will once again be on an all-you-can-lease buffet for oil and gas, logging, and grazing, with no one else involved, and largely without your say.
Grazing regulations
Many ranchers are excellent land stewards, and grazing has a legitimate place on public lands. But grazing is one use among many, and public lands must also support wildlife habitat, clean water, public access, hunting, angling, and long-term ecosystem health.
But actions taken this month by the BLM all but guarantee grazing permits wherever they’re requested, despite what the public thinks or what the range and conditions can actually sustain. By proposing to remove a requirement for the BLM to “consult, cooperate, and coordinate” with the public when approving and considering changes to grazing permits, the BLM is ushering in a new era of grazing, a free-for-all, where range health and other uses aren’t even considered.
Oil and gas royalties
May also saw the implementation of a final rule that reduces royalty rates paid by oil and gas corporations benefiting off our public estate. The 25.015% royalty reduction (from 16.67% to 12.5%) will mean an estimated $1.5 billion annual loss in national revenue, according to analysis from Taxpayers for Common Sense. This includes dollars that would have flowed directly to Montana for things like road maintenance and infrastructure, with a quarter of the state’s revenue earmarked for the services benefiting the counties where extraction takes place. This is a big hit to our rural communities, and nothing but a handout to oil and gas to maximize shareholder profits, with no relief to be found for Montanans on our utility bills or at the pump.
Sodium cyanide
Then there’s the poison. At the request of a letter signed by Montana’s Senator Daines, the Trump administration issued an internal memo signaling the end to a prohibition of toxic chemicals from being used to poison wildlife on our BLM public lands.
In an effort to kill coyotes and other small carnivores like foxes and bobcats, government agents will apparently once again be able to use this indiscriminate method of killing on public lands. Wildlife Services, the government agency tasked with managing small carnivores for the benefit of agriculture, has many other animal-control tools at its disposal, including baiting, trapping, sharpshooters with night vision and infrared scopes, and even aerial gunning from helicopters. While these other methods are unsettling, the one advantage over poisoning is that they’re selective and systematic in their management – something poisoning is not.
The BLM, under the direction of the President and Interior Secretary Burgum, has made their priorities and intentions crystal clear: public lands are for unchecked grazing and extractive industries – outdoor advocates, wildlife, hunters and anglers be damned.
You might think this amount of destruction is the result of an entire term, but no, this is just from a few days in May, and to just one subset of our public lands and the agency that manages them. The onslaught of damage inflicted by this administration is deliberately relentless and carefully planned.
So yes: Mayday. Mayday.
Montana’s public lands are in trouble, and our federal delegation appears to be asleep in the cockpit.
Join us in expressing our concerns with our federal delegation.
Contact Senator Daines, Senator Sheehy, and Representative Zinke here.
