Leaders from the U.S., Canada and Mexico have signed an agreement to strengthen coordination on conservation efforts for the American bison across its range in North America.
The countries plan to work together to promote the ecocultural conservation of bison through regional activities, joint work plans and shared activity reports.
“Through a letter of intent, the countries will work to pursue bison conservation, restore ecological processes, and support traditional human use of natural resources with a particular focus on the unique historical connection between bison and Indigenous peoples,” the Department of the Interior said.
The efforts will build on the Grasslands Keystone Initiative, which was launched in 2023 by the Interior Department and included a $25 million investment to restore bison across the country. A secretary’s order established a Bison Working Group comprising representatives from five bureaus with bison equities, which is working to develop a Bison Shared Stewardship Plan.
Canada is currently studying the genetic diversity and population viability of Canadian bison herds, similar to a 2020 effort undertaken by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Mexico inherited 23 bison from the U.S. in 2019, establishing the country’s second herd, and is working to implement the Mexican Recovery Plan for the Bison.
Letter of intent
The letter of intent was established following the 2024 Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management Annual Meeting held in May. The committee was established in 1996 in an effort to bring together the three countries to align efforts on conserving North America’s wildlife and ecosystems.
“While the overall recovery of bison over the last 130 years is a conservation success story, significant work remains to ensure that bison will remain a viable species,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. “Our collaborative efforts with Canada and Mexico are an important step forward as we work to restore this majestic species and facilitate the return of bison to Tribally owned and ancestral lands.”
The letter of intent cited that about 31,000 bison in North America are stewarded for conservation goals but noted that most herds are “constrained by fences or human tolerance, isolated from each other, and have fewer than 1,000 individuals, raising valid concerns about their genetic integrity, wildness, and long-term viability.”
Continuing that while the species may be secure because of these conservation efforts, the letter of intent highlighted that bison are absent from nearly 99% of their historic range. The letter calls for the celebration of conservation success and encourages the movement toward “ecocultural conservation,” a concept to protect both ecosystems and cultural traditions.
Ron Hallman, Parks Canada president and CEO, said: “This transborder relationship provides an opportunity, guided by a diversity of science-based and Indigenous knowledge, in collaboration with Indigenous peoples and others, that will continue to improve the health and resiliency of bison across their varied environments.”
By signing the letter, the three countries agreed to enhance their coordination, collaboration and gathering and sharing of information to advance ecocultural conservation of bison in North America. Efforts include collaborating on regional activities to promote policies, practices and effective methods; and promoting joint work plans within the Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management.
Though the letter says it was signed May 30, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Matthew Strickland digitally signed the letter on Sept. 10, and the letter was released on Nov. 1.
The Nature Conservancy
On Oct. 31, The Nature Conservancy reported that through its work with Indigenous partnerships, a total of 1,800 bison have returned “back to their ancestral grazing lands” since 2020.
The Nature Conservancy partnered with the InterTribal Buffalo Council, the non-profit Tanka Fund and other Indigenous communities to restore bison to the Tribes. The Nature Conservancy is the second largest private owner of bison in the U.S., managing about 6,600 head on 11 preserves.
“On (The Nature Conservancy) preserves, a bison’s primary job, so to speak, is to help maintain the health of grasslands,” the group said. “For the Indigenous Peoples (The Nature Conservancy) partners with bison are much more. We send them to the Tribes as bison and they are welcomed home as buffalo—a cultural keystone—as much as an ecological one, and core to tribal identity.” — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
