Ep. 851: The Promise and Controversy of American Prairie

American Prairie CEO Allison Fox outlines the organization's 25-year effort to assemble and restore a vast grassland ecosystem in north-central Montana. By purchasing private ranchlands with private philanthropy, they aim to connect them with surrounding public lands like the 1.1 million-acre Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, targeting a contiguous 3 million acres—larger than Yellowstone—devoted to native wildlife, habitat health, and unrestricted public access.

Core Vision and Land Assembly

American Prairie manages 605,000 acres today, including deeded private lands and associated federal grazing leases, all open to the public for walking, dispersed camping, and hunting. They buy from willing sellers at fair market value, completing 49 transactions so far, with six acquisitions last year adding 78,000 acres, including the 67,000-acre Anchor Ranch. This opened a 3.9-mile private road, granting access to 50,000 acres of previously hard-to-reach public land. Acquisitions prioritize intact native prairie (over 90% unplowed in the area) near abundant public lands, selected by World Wildlife Fund founders in 2001 for its wildlife potential. Progress metrics include acres added, stream miles restored, fence removals, junk metal tonnage cleared, and visitor nights (6,600 last year across campgrounds and huts). No fixed timeline exists; they plan decades of buying as la