Earlier this year, Montana’s State Land Board adopted a policy placing a pause on requests to graze bison on state trust lands. The board is made up of the governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor and superintendent of public instruction.
Last week, Helena District Court Judge Chris Abbott issued a preliminary injunction against the board’s action. The ruling temporarily blocks enforcement of the policy and allows state officials to continue considering new bison grazing permit requests while the case moves through the court system.
State attorneys disagreed, arguing the board acted appropriately because there was no existing rule specifically addressing how bison grazing requests should be handled on trust lands.
The case centers only on grazing permits involving Montana state trust lands. A separate dispute involving federal Bureau of Land Management grazing permits is also ongoing after the federal government revoked permits tied to bison grazing earlier this year.
