American Prairie Reserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American Prairie Reserve |
|
|---|---|
Overlooking the Missouri River from the American Prairie Reserve
|
|
| Established | 2005 |
| Operator | American Prairie Foundation |
The American Prairie Reserve (APR) is a huge nature reserve in northeastern Montana. It is a private project run by the American Prairie Foundation. This non-profit group is creating a large wildlife conservation area. It will eventually cover over 3 million contiguous acres (12,000 km2) of land. This land includes both private and public areas. The goal is to create a healthy mixed grass prairie ecosystem. It will have migration corridors and many native wildlife species.
Contents
Understanding Prairies and Bison
What is a Prairie?
Prairies are the main ecosystem in the central part of North America. They are mostly covered by plants like grasses and sedges. There are not many trees in these areas.
Bison: Key to the Prairie
Before the 1800s, bison were very important for the shortgrass prairie habitat. They are called a "keystone species." This means they play a huge role in their environment. Their grazing pressure changed the land and food webs. This helped to increase the number of different living things, or biodiversity.
The grasslands once had over 1,500 types of plants. They also had 350 birds, 220 butterflies, and 90 mammals. Bison lived with elk, deer, pronghorn, swift fox, black-footed ferrets, bears, wolves, and cougars.
Bison helped the prairie in many ways. They used their horns to score trees, stopping them from growing too much. As bison ate grass, they spread seeds through their waste. The varied landscape created by bison helped many birds. Millions of birds still come to the prairie each year. Mountain plovers even use bison wallows (muddy dips) as nesting spots. Bald eagles, ravens, and black-billed magpies eat bison when they die.
Changes to the Prairie
Huge herds of 30 to 60 million American bison once lived on these grasslands. Indigenous peoples of the Plains also lived there and hunted bison. When the United States expanded westward, this area was called the Great American Desert. People thought it was dry and unwelcoming.
From the 1830s, the number of indigenous people and bison quickly dropped. Millions of acres of prairie land were plowed for farming. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many national parks and forests were created. But prairies were often overlooked. People focused on mountains or forests that could provide timber.
Why Eastern Montana?
The population in eastern Montana has been decreasing since the 1930s. Many ranchers are getting older. It is hard for their families to take over their large ranches. Ranching is tough in this area. Winters are severe, and summers are hot. Rain can be heavy or there can be long dry periods.
However, areas with hiking, hunting, and fishing are growing faster. This region is now focusing more on protecting nature and offering outdoor activities.
The upper Missouri River in the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge was named a National Wild and Scenic River in 1976. In 1999, The Nature Conservancy found that the northern Great Plains was the best place to bring back habitats. It was also good for protecting existing plants and animals. The land was in good condition. It had many different wildlife species. This made it a top choice for grassland conservation.
In 2001, the 377,000-acre (589 sq mi; 1,526 km2) Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument was created. This area has badlands, rock formations, and grassy plains. It is called "The Breaks" because the land seems to drop off towards the river. Soon after, the World Wildlife Fund decided to start a conservation effort. They realized a new group was needed to focus only on this preservation work.
History of the Reserve
In 2005, 16 bison from Wind Cave National Park were released at the reserve. More bison were brought from Elk Island National Park in 2010 and 2012. By 2020, about 800 bison roamed freely in parts of the reserve.
In Montana, bison are legally seen as farm animals. But APR manages them as a wild herd. APR buys ranches from willing sellers. These ranches often come with grazing leases on public land. This public land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
As of January 2020, APR had bought 30 ranches. They plan to buy about 20 more. By October 2020, the Reserve managed 420,000 acres (170,000 ha). About a quarter of this land is owned by APR. The rest is leased. Buying ranches has also helped return 63,777 acres (25,810 ha) of public land to wildlife use. This land was once used for cattle ranching.
One common plant in the area is crested wheatgrass. The U.S. government brought this plant in the 1930s for cattle to eat.
Working Together for Wildlife
Helping Native Tribal Nations
The American Prairie Reserve works with Native tribal nations. They give bison to tribes that have good bison restoration programs. The goal is to share bison with groups who want to help bison conservation. These partnerships help Native tribes bring back their cultural, spiritual, and economic ties to bison.
Research and Studies
Scientists at the reserve study many animals. They have published papers on beavers, cougars, and upland game birds like the Greater sage-grouse. They also study how bison and pronghorn migrate. Research is also done on the endangered swift fox.
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is studying bison movement. They use small, solar-powered GPS tracking units on the bison's ears. This helps them learn how bison groups make decisions and move together.
Wildlife-Friendly Ranching
The reserve wants to be a good neighbor to local ranchers. Ranching cattle is still the main economic activity in the area. Ranchers can lease land from APR for about 13,000 cattle.
APR also invited ranchers to follow certain wildlife-friendly rules. If they did, they could get help selling their meat for a higher price through a company called Wild Sky Beef. These rules include keeping the native prairie unplowed. Other rules help increase the price they get. These include building wildlife-friendly fences and keeping cattle out of river areas. Ranchers also agree not to harm predators.
Landowners can earn money by setting up cameras on their property. They get paid for pictures of large carnivores like cougars or black bears. Some ranchers are already using methods like "regenerative agriculture." This focuses on keeping grasslands healthy, not just selling beef.
Different Views on the Reserve
People in the area have mixed feelings about the reserve. Bison in Montana are a debated topic. Some ranchers who want to continue raising cattle have strong reactions.
When the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument was created in 2001, some ranchers worried. They thought it was a government land grab that would force them out. Even though it allowed them to keep their grazing permits.
The idea of wild bison roaming freely raises concerns. People worry about diseases like brucellosis. They also worry about bison competing with elk and deer for food. There are concerns about public safety and damage to private property, like fences.
The reserve gets its bison from herds that are free of brucellosis. The bison are also vaccinated and tested for diseases, just like other livestock. The reserve builds strong fences to keep bison inside. These fences include a solar-powered electric wire.
Signs saying "Save The Cowboy, Stop The American Prairie Reserve" show ongoing concerns. Groups like the United Property Owners of Montana also oppose the reserve. Some ranchers feel the reserve threatens their way of life and culture. They believe the land is best used for raising livestock, as it has been for over 100 years. They feel the reserve does not respect the culture that has kept the prairie unplowed for so long. This unplowed prairie is now seen as ideal for bringing the landscape back to how it was before settlers arrived.
Bison are often discussed in state laws. In 2019, the Montana House of Representatives asked the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to reject a bison grazing plan from APR. APR wanted to change their grazing permits. They wanted to allow bison to graze year-round instead of cattle. In Montana, bison are classified as private livestock. The Department of Livestock oversees them.
Visiting the Reserve
The reserve is in a remote area. Nearby towns like Lewistown (south) and Malta (north) offer places to stay and eat.
Some areas are open for hunting with a permit. You can hunt upland birds, migratory birds, deer, elk, and antelope. The reserve also provides access to public lands through its owned lands. There are drawings for a chance to harvest bison. These bison are not considered wildlife to be hunted. They are seen as livestock because they live within the fenced 27,000 acres (11,000 ha) Sun Prairie unit.
About the Organization
The American Prairie Foundation, also known as American Prairie Reserve, has a clear goal. They believe that by buying a small number of acres from willing sellers, they can connect millions of acres of public land. This would create a landscape like the one seen by Lewis and Clark.
The American Prairie Foundation uses a 7-point scale to check the land's health. They look at ten things like plant diversity, grazing, fire, water, and predators. This helps them measure how well their management activities are working.
About ten percent of the funding comes from private groups that support land conservation. The other ninety percent comes from individuals in 46 states and eight countries. About 20% of their donors live in Montana. By December 2013, they had raised $67.3 million since 2002.
Major donors include Forrest Mars, Jr. and John Mars of the Mars family, Hansjoerg Wyss, and Susan Packard Orr. Some current board members are also major donors.
Images for kids
-
American Prairie in 2021
-
American Prairie in 2021
