One of the most iconic species of our country is the American bison. Our largest land mammal was nearly hunted into extinction a century ago and has made a remarkable comeback -- with nearly a half-million bison now roaming free.

The American bison is one of our country's most iconic species.To honor this unique animal's place in history, legislation has been introduced on Capitol Hill to name the American bison our national mammal.

As NYLCV Board Member Ted Roosevelt V writes in USA Today, the honor is something that President Theodore Roosevelt (Ted's great-great-grandfather) would applaud.

"The passage of the National Bison Legacy Act, and the attention it rightly focuses on our nation's spiritual hunger to connect with nature and the wildlife found there, could and should remind us of our country's unique conservation heritage, ensuring that buffalo and other awe-inspiring species might continue to survive here, as Teddy so aptly wrote, for the appreciation of the unborn generations yet to come," he noted.

U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., introduced the National Bison Legacy Act in Congress last May. A companion House bill was recently introduced by Reps. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., Jose Serrano , D-N.Y., and Kristi Noem, R-S.D.