After an exhaustive public process that spanned nearly eight years, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks today issued a decision that sets the parameters for the restoration of publicly managed bison.

The department is not advancing a site-specific bison restoration proposal at this time. Rather, this decision finalizes the programmatic environmental impact statement and determines that any bison restoration proposals must follow state law, and address guidelines established by a group of stakeholders involved in the EIS process.

“Wild bison have been successfully restored under a variety of managem...