WASHINGTON, D.C. — The bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act, which was voted unanimously out of the House Natural Resources Committee today, would create a program within the Department of the Interior to promote Tribal ownership and management of buffalo and their habitat on Tribal lands, drawing from generations of knowledge on wildlife conservation and upholding commitments to Tribal sovereignty and expertise.

“Buffalo are an intrinsic part of our landscape and history, inseparable from the Indigenous communities who have lived here for thousands of years. Conserving the buffalo is not only crucial for habitat and ecological restoration, but for safeguarding our heritage and building on our ancestral connections,” said Jason Baldes, board member of the InterTribal Buffalo Council and senior Tribal buffalo program manager for the National Wildlife Federation. “The Indian Buffalo Management Act celebrates the intergenerational knowledge and expertise Tribes bring in conserving this species and would provide much-needed resources to ensure collaboration between Tribal, federal and conservation partners to establish prolific populations of buffalo across the country. The full Senate and House should pass this legislation.”

The legislation would require the Interior Department to create a program that awards grants and provides technical assistance to Tribes and Tribal organizations for activities related to buffalo restoration or management. It also requires consultation with Tribal representatives on initiatives that affect buffalo or buffalo habitat, including efforts to contain or eradicate diseased buffalo and develop a policy relating to buffalo habitat management activities on Tribal land. Additionally, it allows the Interior Department to enter into agreements with Tribes or Tribal organizations to transport surplus buffalo from federal land onto Tribal land.