More than a year after release, bison herd helps both the land and the Colville tribes

A new generation of bison are now roaming on tribal lands in eastern Washington after nearly two centuries. Cody Proctor with our Environment Northwest team shows us how the reintroduction is not only improving the ecosystem, but also deep cultural connections. For the first time in a very long time, a new generation takes its first steps on the Colville Confederated Tribes Reservation. To actually come out here and witness it, and they're just these tiny baby calves, it kind of just makes your heart warm. These bison calves are among the first born on the tribal land here. They've been gone from here for at least a couple hundred years. 150 years, almost 200 years. In 2023, the Colville Tribes got the opportunity to introduce bison to their own lands. While bison weren't widespread across the Inland Northwest, they hold a deep, traditional meaning for the tribes here. The first 30 head of bison were released near Buffalo Lake. It is kind of surreal in a sense to see, you know what I mean, like there's actually buffalo here now. But they're more than a symbol. These bison are changing and improving the ecosystem. There's some somewhere between here and Swalwilla. Colville Tribes fish and wildlife biologist Sam Rushing monitors the bison, treating them as a wild herd. A lot of other species have coexisted with bison for thousands of years. As a keystone species, bison help maintain healthy ecosystems. Their grazing creates nesting grounds for birds and promotes plant diversity. Rushing also expects them to help water resources. They don't tend to spend a lot of time right down in the creek. The creek bottoms, like domestic cows will, you know, they'll come down for a drink of water, but then they'll move off and stay out of the creeks and streams. Compared to cattle, bison protect creek and riverbanks that serve as critical habitat for fish and wildlife. But beyond the environmental support, the bison also reconnects the tribes to their cultural heritage. At the moment, the current population for this bison herd is just over 45 members, but eventually the tribes would like to get that population up to a level they consider to be sustainable, meaning they can be harvested by tribal members. In January, fish and wildlife hunted their first bull, part of sustainable management, with the meat set aside for ceremonial purposes. We have this spiritual connection to all our foods. Nothing goes without any sort of respect and honoring. So I have no doubt that we'll get to that level. It's just going to take a little bit of time. What is that level? We're still kind of determining that. So there needs to be kind of some assessment done on range conditions to see what the habitat can support. Currently, the Colville Tribes Fish and Wildlife Team is reviewing a draft of their bison management plan, laying the groundwork for both the future of the herd and the future of the tribes. It's kind of healing to reintroduce these species, you know, for your spirit. It really helps that healing process, the trauma we've gone through to see a lot of these back on the landscape. For Environment Northwest, I'm Cody Proctor.