The governor says the plan will help protect Montana's brucellosis free status and reduce the need for bison slaughter. In front of several cattle and environmental groups governor Brian Schweitzer announced new changes to the way cattle and bison interact.

Officials say the plan allows bison to access a corridor from newly acquired state land state. The agreement also says the Royal Teton Ranch must remove all of it's cattle for the next 30 years giving bison more land to roam. The governor says the new plan is beneficial to both the bison and the cattle industry but some critics disagree. "This agreement protects the livestock industry of Montana from transmission of brucellosis from buffalo to cattle and it allows the buffalo to move a little bit further outside the park," said Governor Schweitzer.

"What we need is habitat we need permanent year round habitat in the state of Montana then we can have a hunt, then we can start to look at these different management options, but right now we're doing everything for the cow and not the buffalo," said Buffalo Field Campaign's Mike Mease. One thing the two sides do agree on, this is not the final solution to the land battle between bison and livestock owners.