Indian Buffalo Management Act Advances in Committee, Affirming Tribal Expertise, Sovereignty

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Bipartisan legislation, introduced by Representatives Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), and Tom Cole (R-Okla.), would affirm the federal government's trust obligation to support management of buffalo and their habitat on Tribal lands. The Don Young Doug LaMalfa Indian Buffalo Management Act, which advanced in committee with unanimous support, would direct the Department of Interior to consult and work with Tribes to restore buffalo and underscores the importance of the species as a subsistence right for Indigenous People.

"Buffalo are a treaty right afforded to Tribes in support of food sovereignty, cultural importance, and self-determination. This bill recognizes the federal government's obligation to build capacity and access to buffalo on Tribal lands," said Jason Baldes, senior Tribal buffalo program manager for the National Wildlife Federation. "We are glad to see bipartisan support for the bill in committee and encourage the full House to swiftly pass this legislation that would ensure large scale restoration of buffalo across even larger landscapes."