American Prairie says it has no other option than to sue the Gianforte administration and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation because the agency refuses to complete an environmental review and issue a grazing lease for a portion of its bison operations.

American Prairie, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and maintaining one of the nation’s largest nature reserves, owns large swaths of property and has been dedicated to promoting and preserving prairie land and graze bison. It also offers hunting and recreational opportunities throughout central, northern and eastern Montana.

In a lawsuit filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court, American Prairie said that it renewed a grazing lease, originally granted by the state in 2009, when it expired in 2019.

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