The Indian Buffalo Management Act directs the Department of the Interior to help federally recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations restore and manage buffalo herds on tribal lands. The bill acknowledges that buffalo were central to Native American life for centuries before near-extinction in the 1800s and recognizes tribes' desire to restore buffalo for cultural, spiritual, subsistence, and economic purposes. The Secretary of the Interior is required to enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants with tribes to support buffalo restoration, habitat management, and commercial activities like meat processing, as well as provide technical assistance. The bill also allows tribes to receive surplus buffalo from federal lands and directs the Secretary to consult with tribes on federal buffalo management initiatives while protecting any culturally sensitive tribal information from disclosure. The legislation sunsets after seven years, meaning these authorities will expire unless Congress reauthorizes them.
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