BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Hundreds of wild bison would be transferred from federal lands to a South Dakota American Indian Reservation and a North Dakota national park under the latest initiative to restore the burly animals to Western U.S. lands.
Bison once roamed North America in the tens of millions but were driven to near-extinction in the 1880s. Tribal officials say up to 200 bison could be transferred to South Dakota’s Rosebud Sioux Reservation this fall.
An unspecified number of bison would be moved from Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Arsenal to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt this week announced a 10-year initiative to advance bison restoration efforts.