Buffalo commons: American Prairie gets greenlighted for BLM grazing

In 2001, American Prairie made an appearance in Montana with the goal to stitch together private and public lands in Eastern Montana to create a large grassland reserve. By buying ranches from willing sellers, the group – once known as the Prairie Foundation, American Prairie Foundation, and American Prairie Reserve – has become a lightning rod for criticism, legislation and political divisiveness. This is in part because it has stocked some of its land with bison. Recently, the Bureau of Land Management gave final approval to the group to alter grazing plans on federal lands to accommodate bison, reigniting the long simmering feud.

On this week's episode Brett French, outdoors and natural resources reporter the Billings Gazette discusses the contentious history of American Prairie's attempt to create a native grassland prairie inhabited by bison.

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Montana Untamed, hosted by Thom Bridge, covers the state's rugged landscape from hook and bullet to policy and science.