It’s always a rocky road for wild bison here in Montana. When they’re not being chased back into Yellowstone National Park for fear that they’ll transmit disease to cattle, they’re being blamed for wandering through nearby communities, grazing on lawns and rubbing against trees – in short, for acting like bison.

Fortunately, learning to live with bison is possible, and a group of conservation organizations is teaming up to help local residents coexist with their furry new neighbors. As everybody knows, good fences make good neighbors. Through the installation of wildlife-friendly fencing and other adaption techniques, we can ensure all creatures roam freely, while making sure bison roam at a safe distance.

As I discussed in my last blog, the government agencies that manage Yellowstone’s wild bison – better known as buffalo – recently reached a historic agreement to give the iconic animals 75,000 acres of winter and spring habitat in the Gardiner Basin north of the Park. But in a region where bison have not been allowed to roam freely for decades, this is a big change for the local community.

That’s why the Natural Resources Defense Council is pooling funds with other local groups to help Gardiner Basin residents install the fences and other infrastructure they need to successfully coexist with free-roaming bison. NRDC and our partners have committed funding for on-the-ground fencing projects, which are slated to begin this spring. And our groups are seeking guidance from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, who will serve as the contact point for residents seeking assistance.

Working with landowners, we can assess needs and offer technical advice, helping residents choose the most appropriate type of fence for their situation. Some landowners may want to install a bison-resistant fence around their backyard; others may want a small fence around their vegetable garden; still others may simply need to modify existing fences so they stand up against the large newcomers. With the innovative wildlife-friendly fencing that is already in use throughout the state, it is possible to fence bison out of specific areas without hampering the natural movement of deer, elk, pronghorn and other native species.

Everybody wants to see Gardiner’s residents and property kept safe. And we know this is possible even with bison roaming freely.

We have seen communities successfully coexist with bison elsewhere in Greater Yellowstone, particularly in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where bison have roamed freely for years with little incident. Closer to home, residents of Horse Butte Peninsula, along Yellowstone’s western border, live with bison each spring and have experienced few public safety or property damage issues. They say property damage from bison occurs only when the animals are chased through fences during the annual spring hazing. And right in Gardiner, residents know that bison have frequented the high school football field for years with no safety incidents.

Every step forward is a learning process – particularly as we reacquaint ourselves with an animal that hasn’t trod most of its native habitat for over a century. We may not get it perfect at the very beginning, but wildlife experts and local community members can learn from each other as we build a common vision of how coexistence with bison will work in the Gardiner Basin. With patience and some careful fencing, we can help local communities like Gardiner navigate the path toward living with bison.