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D.C. (NewsDakota.com) – Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp have reported that President Barack Obama has official signed into law legislation naming the bison as the U.S. national mammal.

Both Senators sent out a release reporting that the National Bison Legacy Act had been officially signed. The act recognizes the historical, economic, and cultural significance of the bison as well as its important to many Native American tribes as a sacred symbol of their heritage. Here’s Senator John Hoeven.

Senator Heitkamp echoed her excitement for the newly passed legislation.

More than 40 million bison once roamed across most of North America. But by the late 1800s, fewer than one thousand bison remained. The species is acknowledged as the first American conservation success story, having been brought back from the brink of extinction by a concerted effort of ranchers, conservationists and politicians to save the species in the early 20th century.

There are now bison in all 50 states, whether in parks, refuges, or zoos.