New Bison Technical Resources Published
December 5, 2024 (Westminster, CO) – In September 2022, a conversation started in Washington D.C. between National Bison Association staff and member delegates and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Bison producers across the country were experiencing challenges accessing USDA-NRCS programs, with some NBA members even being denied the right to apply for support. It was evident that more training was needed for NRCS field staff. The discovery process began to understand what resources were available to NRCS staff within the electronic directives system. A few states offered resources, but not comprehensive up to date resources were available.
Staff from the National Grazing Land team through NRCS took on the task of investigating deeper into what was truly needed to plan for the needs of bison- especially to embrace them as natural ecosystem engineers and a keystone species. Several rounds of face-to-face interviews, virtual chats, follow up phone calls, and emails have occurred in the last two years; along with intensive collecting of current bison focused research.
A small victory happened about a year ago with the introduction of new funding scenarios for fencing that captured the needs for bison, increasing the cost share opportunities for bison ranchers participating in programs like EQIP and CSP.
This Monday a 41-page document was officially released through the NRCS Electronic Directives, providing national guidance for bison planning. This technical note is designed to assist NRCS planners and partners collaborating with bison producers. It introduces key terminology and concepts and provides considerations for developing conservation plans and implementing conservation practices for bison. Drawing on a wealth of existing technical documents, research literature, insights from bison stakeholders, and practical experience, this technical note serves as a quick guide for NRCS field offices.
This technical note informs and raises awareness of available NRCS assistance to foster continued collaboration, knowledge exchange, and technical advancements in sustainable practices for bison producers and their industry. To provide the most current guidance and best available science, this technical note will be updated periodically.
“NRCS extends its heartfelt gratitude to the numerous contributors to this technical note, both inside and outside the agency. We especially thank our partners, Lydia Whitman of the National Bison Association (NBA) and Dr. Jeff Martin of the South Dakota State University Center of Excellence for Bison Studies, for their collaboration, expertise, and passion. We look forward to many more years of partnership,” stated Brenda Simpson, National Grazing Land Team Leader, USDA-NRCS.
The NBA thanks NRCS staff Brenda Simpson and Tom Hilken for their careful authorship; and the host of NBA members and NRCS staff that all contributed their insights to the development of this document.
Click here to access the new Bison Technical Note.
-30-