American Prairie's second-largest purchase surpasses half a million acres

American Prairie said Dec. 4 it has grown the private and public land leases it manages to more than half a million acres, “a new milestone,” with the acquisition of a property in Phillips County “that is in a priority area for the conservation organization’s mission and goals,” according to a news release from the organization.

This latest acquisition is in the foothills of the Little Rocky Mountains and totals 51,731 acres, including 2,557 deeded acres and 49,174 leased acres, making it the second-largest purchase in the nonprofit’s 23-year history.

The property borders the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR) to the north, the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument to the east, and is located just one mile off Highway 191. It is also adjacent to American Prairie’s Mars Vista unit, allowing for the expansion of that property, which is home to the organization’s popular Antelope Creek Campground.

This land purchase brings American Prairie’s total habitat base to 527,068 acres, which is comprised of 140,552 deeded acres and 386,516 leased public acres.

“Providing public access is a cornerstone of the nonprofit’s mission and the majority of its private lands are open to the public for recreation,” it said in a news release.

American Prairie said it will share public access details in the future to spell out recreational uses on the new acres once it has familiarized itself with the property.

According to Alison Fox, CEO of American Prairie, the location of this acquisition and the connectivity it provides are equally valuable as it contains a critical corridor for wildlife migration.

“Not only does the addition of this property grow our overall footprint and our Mars Vista unit, it also means American Prairie will help steward an important area connecting the CMR and the Monument,” said Fox in a statement. “This is outstanding habitat for wildlife, and we’re thrilled at the prospect of helping to provide safe passage for more animals between areas that are already federally protected.”

As part of the land acquisition, American Prairie will be co-lessees on the Bureau of Land Management acres associated with this property and share the grazing privileges with two other entities. American Prairie currently leases out hundreds of thousands of acres — across 10 of its 12 management units — to more than a dozen local livestock producers who run approximately 9,000 head of cattle.

“We look forward to working with our co-lessees to continue stewardship of this remarkable public resource,” said Fox in a statement.