In a decisive move that safeguards Montana ranching, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has revoked grazing permits allowing the American Prairie Reserve (APR) to run bison on approximately 63,000 acres of public lands in north-central Montana.  Announced in January 2026, this reversal of a 2022 authorization marks a critical win for agriculture in Montana, countering the expansive ambitions of a well-funded nonprofit that threatens the very fabric of our rural communities. For those unfamiliar, APR is an extreme environmental organization with the goal of assembling a vast, privately owned wildlife refuge spanning over 5,000 square miles—roughly the size of Connecticut.  Backed by wealthy donors from outside Montana, APR has aggressively purchased ranches, converting...

A coalition of Montana counties has petitioned the Department of Interior (DOI) to vacate a 2022 decision that allows American Prairie Reserve (APR) bison to graze on BLM allotments.  In response, DOI Secretary Doug Burgum on December 9 took the extraordinary step of assuming jurisdiction over a review of the 2022 decision.  The result of this move portends to be a major blow to APR’s plan to establish a 3.5-million-acre private nature preserve in the heart of Montana. In a detailed filing with DOI, the Montana Natural Resource Coalition of Counties (MTNRC) points out that BLM lands are reserved for livestock grazing and cannot be rewilded.  Furthermore, BLM regulations give grazing preference to “cattle, sheep, horses, burros, and goats.” MTNRC contends the 2022 decision to...

American Prairie Reserve has been crowing about their recent ranch purchases in Phillips County.  What they won’t tell you is those acquisitions come at a cost to you and every other Montanan.  It’s important to reflect on what we’re losing when APR removes land from agricultural production.  Most regretfully we’re losing the next generation of family ranchers whose job it is to grow food.  The dangerous decline in American agricultural production over the last few decades is accelerated if we allow nonprofit groups to buy up prime Montana ranch land.  It’s no wonder we’re seeing such increases in food prices. Our communities are also losing the families who work those ranches.  Families fill our schools and require goods and services, creating...

The ink is dry on another historic cattle ranch in the Upper Missouri River Breaks consumed by the non-profit organization American Prairie Reserve (APR). With a deal to acquire the 73 Ranch, another piece of Montana’s history and leading industry has been gobbled up by the billionaires that fund APR, at the expense of Montana taxpayers. Non-profits claiming to be conservationists rob taxpayers in a couple of different ways. Donations to APR to purchase ranch property come with lucrative tax deductions. With their privileged tax status, every dollar APR receives leaves our government coffers with less than they otherwise would have.

We’re pleased to announce that FWP has agreed to settle our lawsuit against them regarding their bison management plan. They’ve agreed to scrap the bison plan and will not undertake a new EIS for bison management for at least ten years. You can read the settlement agreement here. As part of the litigation against FWP to challenge their bison management plan, UPOM requested all communications from FWP related to the bison management plan. We received over 2500 pages of documents. Through that discovery, we learned that FWP was in deep negotiations with APR to establish a herd of free-roaming bison on the CMR wildlife refuge. This despite repeated claims by FWP that they were not considering any specific relocation sites as part of their bison EIS. Due to the...

By Rep. Dan Bartel In central Montana the American Prairie Reserve has amassed 420,000 acres of prime ranch land. This is a fraction of their ultimate objective: to control 3.2 million acres. The land they acquire will eventually be taken out of agricultural production and “re-wilded.” The thriving ranching communities in and around APR’s 5,000 square mile target area will be wiped off the map. If you’re a Montana taxpayer, you’re helping APR pay for their radical plan.