American Prairie founder optimistic amid BLM dispute ‘We’ll have justice’

Sean Gerrity, a Montana native and founder of American Prairie, addressed a crowd of nearly 70 at the Bozeman Public Library on Wednesday.

Audience members gathered to learn about wild ecosystem restoration, the history and mission of Bozeman- based nonprofit American Prairie, Gerrity’s new book, “Wild on Purpose: The American Prairie Story and the Art of Thinking Bigger”, and the potential implications of the Bureau of Land Management’s May 8 ruling upholding a previous decision to rescind American Prairie’s two-decade-old bison grazing permits.

LEAH VERESS   Chronicle Staff Writer

Described himself as “constitutionally optimistic,” Gerrity said he is confident in the longevity of American Prairie and the nonprofit’s ability to uphold its mission of preserving the grasslands of the Great Plains for people and wildlife.

During an hour-long presentation, Gerrity spoke on the history of American Prairie and the 150-year-old ideology behind it, the ecological importance of preserving the Northern Great Plains, the threats to wild land posed by human and livestock presence, the promise of controlled-environment agriculture for sustainable food production, conservation incentives for ranchers, and the organization’s demonstrated successes over the last two decades.

“I can’t make you feel better about what’s going on with the BLM or Karen Budd-Falen or all the players that are doing what they’re doing,” Gerrity said. “But if you stick around, you’ll leave feeling much better, and better about American Prairie’s prospects through this whole process.”

Gerrity was careful to note that he was not speaking on behalf of American Prairie, but rather as a “citizen speaking at the public library.” He no longer works at or sits on the board of the nonprofit.

On May 8, the Bureau of Land Management issued its final decision to rescind American Prairie’s bison grazing permits, drawing on the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act and arguing that “the BLM may authorize grazing only for domestic livestock managed primarily for production-oriented purposes.”

Passed in 1934, the Taylor Grazing Act was written to improve and maintain range and land conditions on more than 80 million acres of public land. In 1946, President Harry S. Truman established the BLM to manage public lands under the Department of the Interior.

The BLM draws on the authority granted by the Taylor Grazing Act to approve grazing permits on public land, and the interpretation of the act’s language is at the center of the BLM’s proposed decision.

The decision calls for “an orderly transition period for the removal of bison from public lands” by Sept. 30.

“In my gut, I don’t think those bison are going anywhere,” Gerrity said.

He said American Prairie is hoping to file for an injunction. If granted, the injunction would move the suit into federal court, allowing for the potential to appeal rulings to progressively higher courts. Additionally, the injunction would ideally temporarily halt the bison removal action while the litigation played out, potentially delaying the September deadline.

“Right now, it looks like we have a very strong case to get the injunction, but it’s by no means a slam dunk,” Gerrity said.

The conflict between the BLM and American Prairie can be traced to August 2022, when the Montana Stockgrowers Association appealed American Prairie’s bison grazing permits on BLM land in Phillips County, arguing that they violated the Taylor Grazing Act.

In September 2025, Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration and Montana’s congressional delegation asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to intervene in the dispute, leading Burgum to instruct the BLM to reevaluate the Biden-era bison grazing permits in December 2025. The final decision upholds a January proposed BLM decision in which the bureau defines the terms “domestic” and “livestock” to exclude bison, concluding that “American Prairie’s bison herd is managed as wildlife in a way that is not meant for production according to the meaning of the term domestic livestock.”

When asked to comment on the BLM’s final decision by an audience member, Gerrity pretended to evade the question before laughing and responding.

“Remember, I’m optimistic about everything,” he said. “Karen Budd-Falen has been after this project for 22 years, trying to put us out of business. She’s been very clear that if the Department of the Interior doesn’t do anything, if American Prairie is allowed to continue with its vision, it will ruin the western livestock industry as we know it.”

Budd-Falen, a then-private attorney who filed the August 2022 appeal challenging the BLM’s decision to issue the American Prairie bison grazing permits, is the third-highest-ranking official at Interior.

Gerrity said he believes the injunction and appeals process could stretch for years, potentially outlasting both the Gianforte and Trump administrations.

“I’m optimistic that we’ll prevail, that we’ll have justice,” Gerrity said. “The ruling just makes no sense.”

Bobby Neptune, a Bozeman resident who works seasonally as a safari guide in Africa, said he was initially drawn to the event to learn about wild ecosystems, their recoveries, uses, and approaches to help slow the rate of population reduction across the world.

“We should have a sense of curiosity about how folks are using land,” Neptune said. “We should know what belongs there, what doesn’t belong, and how we can coexist around those spaces, which we all need in some way or another, whether that’s to feed us, to recreate on, or just find beauty in.”

Regardless of what side of the aisle people fall on, Neptune said it’s important to find common ground on sustainable land management.

American Prairie is planning to appeal the BLM decision in the U.S. District Court for Montana and in the Department of the Interior’s administrative courts. “Adversely affected parties” have 30 days from the time of receiving the initial decision notice to submit formal appeals.

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