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American Prairie

American Prairie is working to connect, conserve, and share more than 3 million acres of prairie grassland in Montana's Northern Great Plains.

17/08/2026

Have you ever wondered where American Prairie is? Start with Montana. Find the space on the eastern side of the state where the mountains give way to open grassland. Zoom in further and you'll land along the Missouri River, anchored by the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, 1.1 million acres managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

With donor support over the past 25 years, American Prairie has assembled dozens of small private land parcels connecting to larger areas of public land, helping build one of the largest connected prairie ecosystems in the world.

14/08/2026

Montana is home to 29 species of bumble bees, the highest diversity in the country. Alongside thousands of other wild, native bees, they do vital work pollinating wild plants and cultivated crops.

Bumble bees provide an essential ecosystem service through “buzz pollination,” a unique technique critical for crops like tomatoes and blueberries. By vibrating their flight muscles while gripping the flower’s anthers with their jaws, bumble bees release tightly held pollen—just like a tiny electric toothbrush! This not only helps fertilize the plant but also allows pollen to be transferred to other blooms as the bee moves from flower to flower.

12/08/2026

Friendly reminder that this is what your campsite looks like at Buffalo Camp, situated on our Sun Prairie property in the Northern Great Plains. The sunset comes with the reservation.

Book through Hipcamp at https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/collections/camping/american-prairie

10/08/2026

If you’ve been following our herd for a while, you know our bison program is a leader in North American bison conservation. What’s less visible is the careful, behind-the-scenes work it takes to care for bison in a way that supports both their well-being and the health of the prairie.

Pedro Calderon, Manning Rushton, and Al Anderson oversee bison operations at American Prairie. They go above and beyond to meet regulatory requirements while respecting their wild nature and their essential role in prairie ecosystems.

Bison hold the prairie together—you can help keep them here. Share this story and make a gift at https://donate.americanprairie.org/campaign/815365/donate

07/08/2026

“I think it’s really unfair to the bison. They belong here too.” — Al Anderson, Bison Program Technician at American Prairie

In May, the BLM revoked all six of our bison grazing permits. The herd is set to be moved off public lands by September 30, 2026. We have filed an appeal in federal district court seeking a preliminary injunction of this deadline.

This is about more than one herd, one organization, or one corner of Montana. It is about whether our public lands will continue to have a place for conservation and the native animals that once defined our shared landscapes. Bison belong here—and together, we can help ensure they remain a part of our public lands for generations to come.

Reach out to your representatives, share this story, or make a gift at https://donate.americanprairie.org/campaign/815365/donate

05/08/2026

Yesterday we filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Great Falls, Montana, seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to suspend the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) May 8 decision revoking six federal grazing permits used to manage our bison herd..

The filing asks the court to preserve the status quo while it considers the legality of the agency's unprecedented decision, which reversed decades of settled federal practice recognizing bison as eligible livestock under federal grazing law.

We have grazed bison on BLM lands since 2005 without a single grazing violation. The federal agency’s own administrative record contains objective evidence that rangeland conditions have improved during that time.

In 2022, following years of environmental review, BLM authorized us to graze bison on approximately 63,000 acres of public land. The agency defended that decision through multiple administrative appeals before reversing course earlier this year.

Absent an injunction, we would need to cull or relocate roughly 300 bison by the September 30 deadline. We estimate the forced removal would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost animal value, replacement fencing, and abandoned infrastructure investments while cutting off bison supplies to tribal partners, food banks, and community harvest programs.

Bison belong here—and together, we can help ensure they remain a part of our public lands for generations to come. Visit americanprairie.org/bison-belong-here/ to learn more and consider supporting our team and our bison as we fight to keep our herd on public lands.

03/08/2026

Meet Anna, Public Access Manager at American Prairie, and your guide to hut life on the PN. She’s walking us through the Founders Hut and the John and Margaret Craighead Hut.

Set above the Missouri River valley, the Founders Hut has views of numerous Central Montana mountain ranges. Nearby two-track roads are ideal for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing.

The John and Margaret Craighead Hut is set in a cottonwood grove near the banks of the Judith River. It’s an ideal basecamp for visitors looking to bike, fish, or paddle on the Missouri and Judith Rivers.

Book stays at the Founders Hut and Craighead Hut through Hipcamp at https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/collections/camping/american-prairie

31/07/2026

As National Bison Month wraps up, it's important to remember that bison belong here. Bison have roamed the prairie for twenty-one years, and have shaped it for thousands more before that.

In May, the BLM revoked all seven of our bison grazing permits, directing us to remove our herd from public lands by September 30, 2026. On June 4th, we filed our official appeal. What we're facing is a growing and coordinated effort by state and federal officials to restrict bison from public lands in Montana and perhaps eventually across the country.

This will likely be a long legal battle. We're committed to seeing it through. Learn more and support the fight at americanprairie.org/bison-belong-here/

28/07/2026

On World Nature Conservation Day, we're reflecting on the vision that has guided our work for 25 years: a wild and wide open prairie, for wildlife and people, for generations to come.

As conservationists, scientists, and adventurers, we're working to conserve more than 3 million acres of Montana's Northern Great Plains, one of the last remaining temperate grasslands in the world.

If you'd like to support our work, visit AmericanPrairie.org

27/07/2026

In moments like this, financial support is one of the most direct ways to stand with our bison herd. Contributions support everything from staff time and legal advocacy to the practical costs of managing and protecting the herd, including transportation, supplemental hay, fencing improvements, and other essential infrastructure. Most importantly, your support helps us pursue the long-term work of ensuring that bison have a place on the prairie—not just today, but for generations to come.

Donations over $70 are eligible to receive a Bison Belong Here tote bag as a thank-you for facing the storm with our team and our herd for the future of Montana’s northern Great Plains!

Please use the following link to complete your donation: https://donate.americanprairie.org/campaign/815365/donate

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+14065854600

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https://www.americanprairie.org/, https://coreli.ai/americanprairie

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