Don Young Doug LaMalfa Indian Buffalo Management Act
The Don Young Doug LaMalfa Indian Buffalo Management Act directs the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary to work with Tribes and Tribal organizations to promote and develop Tribal capacity to manage buffalo and buffalo habitat, and to
protect, conserve, and enhance Tribes’ connection to buffalo as important to Native culture, subsistence, and economic development.
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Specifically, the The Don Young Doug LaMalfa Indian Buffalo Management Act: Directs the Interior Secretary to work with Tribes and Tribal organizations to:
- Promote and develop the capacity of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to manage buffalo and buffalo habitat;
- Protect and enhance buffalo herds for the maximum benefit of Tribes; and
- Include Tribes in the Department’s decision-making regarding buffalo. Read More Below...
Indian Buffalo Management Act
This bill establishes a program within the Department of the Interior to develop and promote Tribal ownership and management of buffalo and buffalo habitat on Indian lands.
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Specifically, the bill requires Interior to (1) enter into contracts, award grants, and provide technical assistance to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for activities related to buffalo restoration or management; (2) consult with Tribes and Tribal organizations on initiatives that affect buffalo or buffalo habitat, including efforts to contain or eradicate diseased buffalo; and (3) develop a policy relating to buffalo and buffalo habitat management activities on Indian land.
Legislative Work – National Bison Legacy Act
To ensure passage of the bipartisan National Bison Legacy Act in 2016, ITBC partnered with the National Bison Association and Wildlife Conservation Society to lead a diverse coalition of 130 entities and achieve the bison’s rightful place as U.S. National Mammal.” The corresponding National Bison Day, the first Saturday of each November, coincides with Native American Heritage Month.
30 Years of Protecting Yellowstone Bison
The goal of the Bison Conservation and Transfer Program is to re-home Yellowstone-origin bison to Native American Tribes and support the ecological and cultural conservation of this iconic species. This program reconnects bison and Tribes, reduces the number of animals that are slaughtered, and preserves the unique genetic makeup of Yellowstone bison by introducing them into other bison herds.
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ITBC has MOUs on surplus, and NPS notifies ITBC of surplus buffalo.