Bison Conservation

The Bison Conservation Initiative is a Department of Interior (DOI) cooperative initiative that will coordinate conservation strategies and approaches for the wild American Bison over the next 10 years. 

The 2020 Bison Conservation Initiative builds on previous DOI conservation efforts and reaffirms commitments to large, wild, connected, genetically diverse and healthy bison herds and to conservation that includes shared stewardship, ecological restoration and cultural restoration. DOI remains uniquely positioned to play an active role in developing the next stage in bison conservation by working with states, tribes and partners to accomplish linked ecological and cultural restoration goals that are both broader and more meaningful.

As part of these efforts, the USGS is a member of the DOI Bison Working Group (BWG) along with representatives from the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  The BWG is working to strengthen resource coordination, institute a conservation genetics framework and publish investigations into metapopulation management and herd health. Working with states, tribes, and other stakeholders is essential to bison conservation and restoration.

USGS scientists are working with partners to provie science that supports bison conservation through studies promoting herd health, habitat quality, and sustainable management strategies.  Click on Related Science above to see more.

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