American Prairie is a large prairie-based nature reserve located in Central Montana, United States, focused on conserving and restoring the shortgrass prairie ecosystem along with its native wildlife. The reserve is a private project managed by the American Prairie Foundation (APF), a non-profit organization, and as of 2024, it encompasses over 527,000 acres, consisting of both deeded private land and leased public rangeland1.
The vision of American Prairie is to create one of the largest contiguous wildlife conservation areas in the continental US, aiming for over 3 million acres through the strategic acquisition of private ranches and public land leases. The reserve supports native species such as bison—with a herd being developed emphasizing heritage genetics—pronghorn, prairie dogs, elk, mule deer, and even the return of predators like grizzly bears and wolves. Wildlife-friendly fencing is used to allow natural movement of animals. The reserve’s management integrates collaboration with local ranchers, who are encouraged to adopt wildlife-friendly ranching practices to promote ecosystem health12.
American Prairie also provides public access for outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, hunting, wildlife viewing, and fishing, promoting a rugged, natural experience distinct from highly developed national parks. It protects native vegetation and encourages the restoration of mixed-grass prairie habitat to serve as a refuge for people and wildlife forever124.
Historically, the land was part of the Great Plains traditionally inhabited by Indigenous peoples and rich in bison and pronghorn. Over time, homesteading, cattle ranching, and grazing regulations shaped land use, which the foundation now seeks to restore to a more natural prairie ecosystem by retiring grazing leases and removing conflicting fencing1.
In summary, American Prairie is a pioneering conservation effort to restore and protect the biological diversity of North America’s prairie grasslands through large-scale land acquisition and ecosystem restoration, while promoting public engagement and wildlife-friendly land use practices124.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Prairie_(nature_reserve)
- https://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/wildlife-reserve/american-prairie-reserve
- https://www.grasslandgroupies.org/grasslands/american-prairie/
- https://americanprairie.org
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_prairie
- https://www.youtube.com/user/americanprairie