American Prairie is pleased to announce the acquisition of Anchor Ranch and two additional properties in Blaine County, Montana, marking a major milestone by growing the private and public land leases it manages to more than 600,000 acres.
The acquisition of these properties, particularly Anchor Ranch, ensures the permanent protection of critical wildlife habitat and public access in this portion of the Upper Missouri River Breaks. It also represents a powerful win for public access, as American Prairie plans to reopen access to nearly 50,000 acres of public land after years of closure and controversy.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure an important piece of ecologically and culturally significant land,” said American Prairie CEO Alison Fox. “But this acquisition is equally important as a way to return public access to the people so they can explore, hunt, and recreate on land that’s been off-limits for many years.”
Located 69 miles southwest of Havre, Montana, the Anchor totals 67,960 acres, including 22,837 acres of deeded land and 45,123 leased acres, making it the second-largest land purchase in the non-profit’s 24-year history, and significantly advancing the organization’s mission of prairie ecosystem conservation.
Under American Prairie’s ownership, access to a 3.8 mile section of Bullwhacker Road will be opened to the public, providing access to nearly 50,000 acres of public land that’s been a point of dispute and lawsuits for years.
“We believe that public lands should be in public hands, and are proud to be able to provide more permanent access to this special area of the Breaks,” said Fox. “While we will take some time to develop a comprehensive public access plan for this new property, the previously private stretch of Bullwhacker Road is now officially open to the public.”
“This is a win for anyone who cares about public access to our shared lands,” said Randy Newberg, founder of Fresh Tracks and Hunt Talk media. “Our audience cares deeply about the Bullwhacker Allotment as it touts exceptional habitat and opportunities to hunt. It’s an area that’s both important to protect and for the public to access.”
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) also applauded the announcement by American Prairie of its acquisition of Anchor Ranch and the opening of the Bullwhacker Road.
“TRCP thanks American Prairie for taking meaningful steps to enhance and secure public access to hunting and fishing,” said Ryan Chapin, Montana Field Manager with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Providing a reliable point of entry to the Bullwhacker Allotment is a major step forward in ensuring our long-standing outdoor traditions of hunting, fishing, and enjoying wide-open spaces are kept alive.”
American Prairie is also pleased to announce the acquisition of 1,888 deeded acres adjacent to the south side of Anchor ranch. And in a third and separate transaction in the Cow Creek basin of Blaine County, the organization acquired an additional 5,401 acres, consisting of 1,188 deeded acres and 4,213 leased acres. This property is located in the northern portion of the Breaks and extends American Prairie’s shared fence line with the Fort Belknap Indian Community.
These three acquisitions bring American Prairie’s total habitat base to 603,657 acres, which comprises 167,070 deeded acres and 436,587 leased public acres.
In addition to providing abundant public access, these properties feature important wildlife habitat for elk, deer and pronghorn, as well as upland birds. It also provides landscape connectivity for wildlife migration through the Monument to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and north to the Bears Paw and Little Rockies mountain ranges.
American Prairie intends to share a more detailed public access plan 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 these properties. In addition, on both the Anchor Ranch and the 5,401-acre property with public grazing leases, the ranching families who lease the properties will remain in place, and the land will continue to be used for agricultural production.
“We are really pleased to have the existing lessees stay on the ground where their cattle have been grazing, and we look forward to working with these ranching families,” said Fox.
American Prairie currently leases out hundreds of thousands of acres – across 80 percent, or 10 of its 12 management units – to 25 local livestock producers who run approximately 7,000 head of cattle.
While much of American Prairie’s habitat base is leased to local livestock producers, nearly all of the 167,070 private acres it manages is open to the public. The nonprofit is one of the largest landowners participating in Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Block Management program for hunters with more than 80,000 acres enrolled. As the organization grows, so do the facilities and recreational opportunities it provides, garnering interest and visitation from people from all over the country. In 2024, American Prairie set a new visitation record for the seventh year in a row with more than 6,600 overnight visitors to its huts and campgrounds, and over 5,000 visitors at its National Discovery Center in Lewistown, Montana.