3,000 bison in Yellowstone’s a ‘bs number,’ superintendent tells Montana Governor Greg Gianforte

“So pardon my frankness about the advice you’re getting on this issue,” Sholly said. “I look at the letter you sent the Interior secretary and wonder who the hell wrote that for you?”

What letter Sholly referenced is uncertain, but three 2022 letters to the Interior secretary written by Gianforte’s office, the Department of Livestock and the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks all challenged how the bison plan was being developed. Gianforte also consistently advocated throughout the process for a bison herd limited to 3,000 animals.

Sholly texted Gianforte that a bison population of 3,000 is a “bs number we haven’t been at for a long time.”

“We’re not blowing the doors off this thing,” Sholly texted. “Basically saying we’re keeping the same population parameters we’ve been at over the past decade and working together to achieve them in the future.”