A conservation group that buys and leases land for public use is expanding its holdings of prairie land in north central Montana at the foothills of the Little Rocky Mountains.
American Prairie announced on Dec. 5 that a new acquisition in Phillips County brings the land it manages to over half-a-million acres. Spokesperson Beth Saboe said this is a significant milestone in a high priority area.
“One of the reasons that we are working in this part of the Great Plains in north central Montana is because so much intact prairie grassland already exists,” Saboe said.
The group aims to create one of the largest nature reserves in the United States, a proposal that’s proved controversial among lawmakers and landowners concerned about fencing, grazing and other mixed use on the land.
The nearly-52,000 acres is the second biggest acquisition the group has ever made. It connects the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge to the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.
