Montana Claims Yellowstone Let Bison Herd Reach Overpopulation

Montana alleged the Yellowstone National Park bison herd population has grown to a potential harmful level.

The Interior Department and national park failed to manage the over 5,000 bison, and the latest inter-agency management plan will further harm vegetation and range resources, the state said in a complaint filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the District of Montana.

The new Bison Management Plan finalized in 2024 “is another example of YNP’s tendency to do what it wants, leaving Montana to collect the pieces,” the suit said.

The plan was developed “without meaningful consultation” with state agencies, like the ...