1. United States
2. Idaho
3. Letter

Secretary Burgum's proposal to cancel BLM grazing leases for American bison is a disgrace. I'm calling on you to block this decision and ensure bison retain equal access to federal lands. The Interior Department has a buffalo on its official seal because it spent over a century celebrating its role in saving bison from extinction. Now Burgum wants to reverse that legacy by forcing 950 bison off their pastures in north-central Montana, simply because cattle ranchers complained. His ruling that bison have no legal right to graze because they aren't raised for "production-oriented purposes" is absurd. Conservation is a legitimate use of BLM land, as the Biden administration correctly determined. This policy especially harms tribal nations working to restore buffalo herds that were nearly wiped out during 19th century genocide campaigns. OJ Semans Sr. of the Rosebud Sioux put it perfectly: "We should not have the federal government saying only cattle get affordable BLM leases. It is just so stupid the way they are doing this. It is DEI for cows." Federal land belongs to all Americans, not just ranchers. Bison are part of our natural heritage and deserve protection, not elimination to satisfy special interests.