Glacier National Park studies the possible return of free-roaming bison

Glacier National Park is set to receive over $1.9M in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to continue work on advancing bison reintroduction; and to protect and restore whitebark pine.

Glacier National Park continues to actively support the Blackfeet-led vision to establish a free-ranging bison herd in northwest Montana. The herd is expected to roam freely onto NPS lands. $1.5 million of IRA funding will help with coordinating landscape level ecosystem function and connectivity studies, gain a better understanding of how ungulates currently on the landscape (elk and deer) utilize the forage and habitat in the absence of bison, and attempt to obtain a population estimate for these populations through pellet analysis. NPS is also assessing infrastructure needs and placement to support visitor use, enjoyment, and safety.

Last year the Blackfeet Nation released roughly two dozen bison near Glacier northeast border. The herd is expected to eventually move into the park as it grows.

Glacier will also receive $270,000 to restore threatened whitebark pine and implement the National Whitebark Pine Restoration Strategy. This is a multi-park project that includes additional funding awarded to Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Olympic, Mount Rainer, North Cascades, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone national parks, totaling $750,000. The project includes working with partners and tribes to plant blister rust resistant seed and seedlings, identify rust resistant trees, monitor seedling survival, and identify climate refugia. The project builds on 20 years of work at Glacier National Park and within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.   

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Department of the Interior is implementing more than $2 billion in overall investments to restore our nation’s lands and waters, guided by a new restoration and resilience framework to support coordination across agency restoration and resilience programs and drive transformational outcomes. 



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Glacier National Park preserves more than a million acres of some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. With more than 740 miles of trails meandering throughout this vast park, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Exploring Glacier National Park takes all the guesswork out by focusing on the most amazing hikes, and provides you with handpicked recommendations that will allow you to make the most of your trip to Glacier: