A bigger home on the range for Montana bison | Science | AAAS

For the first time in more than 15 years, Montana bison will roam new grazing grounds on public land. After 4 years of review, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on 28 July granted a request by the nonprofit American Prairie to release its bison herd onto more than 24,000 hectares in central Montana. This is the largest land approval BLM has given American Prairie. Many ecologists are celebrating the expansion, part of American Prairie s effort to restore Montana s prairie ecosystems and return the U.S. national mammal to its former glory.

We get a lot of bad news about declines of biodiversity, says ecologist Liesbeth Bakker of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, who has worked with bison in Nebraska. But then to see these things really gives you hope; it makes you think it is possible to restore these ecosystems and give these majestic animals the room they deserve. She notes that the benefits go beyond bison to a host of prairie plants and other native animals. Ranching groups and state officials are less enthusiastic, fearing the bison will compete with cattle.

via www.science.org

This is half good news. The next piece is to allow some hunters, only armed with bows and arrows of course.