Expansion of Battlefield Boundaries

The desire and need to have the current boundaries of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (LIBI) expanded to protect the entire battlefield area is of paramount importance; however, accomplishing such a goal is complex.

LIBI resides on the Crow Indian Reservation, but the Department of Interior (DOI) is responsible for LIBI. It is the National Park Service (NPS) that manages LIBI for DOI.

Each year, Congress approves the budget for DOI, which includes LIBI and all other parks and monuments within the United States. One action must take place before LIBI can expand its boundaries: Congress must pass legislation, and the President of the United States must sign that bill. Only then can Congress appropriate funds to manage the new boundaries. Such legislation is also a necessary mechanism that enables the NPS to acquire the lands within the new boundaries.

Most of these lands within the proposed expansion of LIBI are within the Crow Reservation, which requires any proposed legislation include the Crow Tribe. That is what NPS at LIBI has accomplished. Former Superintendent Neil Mangum began the process of writing this draft legislation with the Crow Tribe, and Superintendent Darrell Cook continues that process.

The current draft that you can read on this website is just that: a draft of a proposed bill that has not even been entered into committee in Congress. This draft legislation would ensure that the expanded boundaries would still be part of the Crow Reservation; however NPS would control and manage LIBI for all time.

You can read an NPS briefing statement that provides an overview of the draft legislation, and the current draft legislation via the navigation buttons at top right.

October 2007

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