American Prairie is pleased to announce it has reached a new milestone, growing the private and public land leases it manages to more than half a million acres with the acquisition of a property in Phillips County that is in a priority area for the conservation organization’s mission and goals. The property 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.
This latest acquisition is situated in the foothills of the Little Rocky Mountains. It 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. Every year, thousands of visitors choose to get off the beaten path and stay overnight at American Prairie’s lodging facilities which include Antelope Creek campground, Buffalo Camp and the Myers Family Huts.
American Prairie intends to share public access details in the future to spell out recreational uses on these new deeded acres. As it has done in the past, the organization needs to first take time to familiarize 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. “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.”
The property also includes water frontage on the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River, as well significant portions of Cyprian, Duval and Antelope Creeks, and the southern half of the Bull Creek watershed. Other important habitat features include ponds and reservoirs, and a high percentage of intact shortgrass prairie which provides crucial habitat for species like deer and antelope and grassland birds.
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 ten of its twelve 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.