Our mission is to create the largest nature reserve in the continental United States, a refuge for people and wildlife preserved forever as part of America’s heritage.
COVER PHOTO by Gib Myers and inside photo by Reid Morth
A note from Alison Fox
“Innovation with Optimism” is one of American Prairie Reserve’s six values, and it permeates this issue of the Sentinel. By “innovation with optimism” we mean we are not wedded to traditional approaches and we strive to learn from other industries, taking the best ideas and effectively applying them to our efforts. It is a core part of who we are as an organization and it is a central tenet in our strong belief that we can realize our ultimate vision for the Reserve.
It was “innovation with optimism” that led us to look at a model of recreation deployed around the world, mostly in mountainous areas, and create the first system of its kind on the grasslands. Feedback from the 225 visitors to the Founders and John and Margaret Craighead Huts this fall –who brought their horses, yoga mats, and bikes to explore the Missouri River Breaks – indicates we are on a good track.
“Innovation with optimism” also inspired our decision to partner with one of the greatest conservationfocused organizations in the world – Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. We will work together with their ecologists to build upon and evolve a body of knowledge that will help us hone our decadeslong strategy for wildlife and habitat restoration.
Perhaps one of the best examples of our commitment to “innovation with optimism” happened this winter at National Geographic Society’s Living with Wildlife conference held in Lewistown, Montana. The conference brought together ranchers and wildlife enthusiasts to learn from one another ways to live with increased wildlife populations, while making a living off of the land. The discussions were open and frank. As APR supporter Randy Gray wrote in a letter to the Billings Gazette: “I’m a believer that Montana’s toughest issues can only be worked out by sitting down, rolling up your sleeves and building trust... Complex issues require complex solutions and community dialogue.”
Thank you, friends and supporters of American Prairie Reserve, for believing in this vision, for affording us the opportunity to be innovative with optimism, and for making this all possible.
Alison Fox, CEO
WILDLIFE RESTORATION: THE LITTLE FOX ON THE PRAIRIE
By Colleen Crill
Some of the first written records of this little fox on the prairie come from the journals of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They noted that swift foxes were abundant as they crossed north central Montana on the Missouri River.
“We have seen in this neighborhood what we have not met before, a remarkably small fox, which associates in bands and burrows in the prairie, like the coyote, but have not yet been able to obtain any of them, as they are extremely vigilant and betake themselves on the slightest alarm to their burrows, which are very deep. They are found almost exclusively in the open plains, or the tops of brushy hills within the level country.”*
No one knows exactly how many of these charismatic creatures roamed the prairies, but fur harvest records indicate that they were abundant throughout the Northern Great Plains. Unfortunately, as Euro-American settlers filled the Great Plains, habitat loss and predator poisoning campaigns drove swift foxes
close to extinction by the mid-twentieth century. This creature was recorded as completely extinct in Montana by 1969.
In 1972, an executive order banning the use of compound 1080 (a poison historically used to kill predators) helped change the tide for swift foxes, and population numbers began to recover in central and southern areas of their range. Numbers had fallen so low, though, that large scale recovery was not possible without help. In 1983 the Canadian government began a massive reintroduction effort, releasing more than 900 captive-bred foxes onto the prairies of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan over the course of 14 years.
The Canadian reintroduction of swift foxes is considered one of the most successful carnivore reintroductions ever conducted. Wildlife managers learned many lessons from that work, and built upon that knowledge with additional reintroductions around the Northern Great Plains. American Prairie Reserve is now working to continue restoring swift foxes within their native range.
APR will work with partners – including Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fort Belknap Department of Fish & Wildlife – to identify suitable release sites, to map and measure available resources, and to obtain permits to collect swift foxes from source populations outside of Montana. The APR team is working in collaboration with Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks to conduct an environmental assessment, which will ensure all environmental consequences (both positive and negative) related to the restoration of this species have been given appropriate consideration. The process will provide the public with the formal opportunity to weigh in on the plans.
While there are many steps ahead of us in this process, we are hopeful that American Prairie Reserve will soon be on the path to restoring this little fox to its native home on Montana’s prairie.
Colleen Crill is a Wildlife Restoration Specialist for American Prairie Reserve.
*Coues, E. 1893. History of the expedition under the command of Lewis and Clark, Volumes 1-3. Dover Publications, Inc. New York. 1364pp.
COLLABORATION IS IN OUR DNA PRAIRIE PARTNERS
By Truly Herbert
Smit hs onian
National Zoological Park Conser vation Biolog y Institute
Photo by Gib Myers.
Prairies are some of the most beautiful and critically endangered North American treasures. Before Europeans populated these lands, black-footed ferrets, grizzly bears, wolves, prairie dogs, mountain lions, and swift foxes were common, and more than 30 million bison grazed the landscape. Today, many of the native species are either extinct or their population levels are dangerously reduced in the large-scale prairies of the continent.
American Prairie Reserve (APR) is working to create the largest wildlife reserve in the continental United States, reconnect wildlife corridors, and restore the health of prairie ecosystems to historic levels. In order to accomplish these audacious goals, APR enlists strategic partners.
“The best way to amplify the work that we are doing is to get others involved,” said Kyran Kunkel, Ph.D., American Prairie Reserve Senior Scientist. “The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is an ideal partner to exponentially move our conservation work forward.”
SCBI conducts cutting-edge research and wildlife conservation projects and houses scientists in fields such as biology, genetics, ecology, and sustainability. SCBI facilities are in Front Royal, Virginia, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and at field research centers across the globe.
THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP
The Smithsonian is renowned for its conservation efforts across the world, and wanted to concentrate more of its work in the United States. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo had already worked together with American Prairie Reserve in the past to provide bison for research and public presentation, and the two organizations also have shared board members and missions. So, in 2017, groups from each organization met to establish a partnership plan.
In 2018, SCBI and APR embarked upon a three-year agreement to help assess the Reserve’s ecosystem with the intention of better documenting and prioritizing the conservation work to be done. Scientists from each organization also will work together to hone the Freese Scale for Grassland Restoration – a system used by American Prairie Reserve to rate biodiversity and land use. The result will be a more objective, detailed, and tested system that will be easier to apply on the Reserve and will help to gauge restoration progress.
MEET OUR NEW SCBI ON-SITE RESEARCHERS
A self-described bird fanatic, Andy Boyce, Ph.D., is a conservation biologist and ornithologist. He and his dog Otus (see biographies, next page) trek the vast prairie.
SMITHSONIAN
CONSERVATION
BIOLOGY INSTITUTE AIMS
TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE,
BEST PRACTICES, AND HELP IN FINE-TUNING CONSERVATION PROCEDURES IN THIS AMAZING LANDSCAPE.
–BILL MCSHEA, PH.D., SCBI WILDLIFE ECOLOGIST AND PROJECT LEAD
American Prairie Reserve is an ideal laboratory where conservation efforts can make a huge impact. With a bevy of experts and resources at its disposal, SCBI pulls from its diverse researchers who have studied other prairies around the world to help bring new insights to the scientific work being done on the Reserve.
Last summer, two intrepid SCBI scientists moved to the area for these field research projects.
When asked why people should conserve the prairie, Boyce said, “Though the prairie doesn’t have the topography of a Yellowstone or Glacier National Park, if you spend time just sitting in the grass, it slowly reveals its own majesty, inviting you to look closer. The prairie has a subtle beauty.”
Hila Shamoon, Ph.D., moved her family from Israel to join the program last summer. Such a big move might be daunting for some, but Shamoon was captivated by the American Prairie Reserve study site and excited to introduce a new place to her two children. She is a landscape ecologist and mammologist and her work on the Reserve is primarily focused on the effects that keystone species like bison and prairie dogs have on the land.
TECHNOLOGY AT WORK
FOR THE PRAIRIE
Using state-of-the-art technology (think drones, maps, remote sensors, advanced camera traps, and the like), these scientists are testing theories about wildlife restoration and collaborating with American Prairie Reserve staff to collect data and further elevate the conservation work being done there.
Both American Prairie Reserve and Smithsonian have high hopes for this collaboration. At the end of the three-year project, they hope to track and increase prairie dog populations, complete multilayered surveys and maps of varied ecosystems, and create and present scientific papers to share information with the science community at large.
HILA SHAMOON, PH.D.
Hila Shamoon is a landscape ecologist and mammologist at Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Conservation Ecology Center. Originally from Israel, she studied at Tel Aviv University and formerly worked at Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park. At American Prairie Reserve, Hila investigates how pasture size affects bison movement patterns and behavior, and how these patterns affect other grassland species. Hila also examines the population dynamics and disease ecology of the black-tailed prairie dog. Hila recently moved with her husband and two children from Israel to Montana.
ANDY BOYCE, PH.D.
Andy is interested in just about every aspect of how birds live. His work is focused not on single species, but entire communities: how they differ, how they interact, and how the physical and biological environment shapes which species live in those communities. His fascination with birds and biology started in the tropical forests of Venezuela and Borneo. Andy’s work on American Prairie Reserve includes studying variation in species richness and functional diversity of grassland-obligate songbirds in pastures occupied by American bison, domestic cattle, or without bovine grazers. Current research is expanding to include a study of how variation in habitat selection and movement patterns of bison and cattle impact riparian (streamside) vegetation, the birds that breed and migrate through these areas, and the use of riparian corridors by native mammals. He is accompanied by his German Shorthaired Pointer, Otus.
OTUS BOYCE
(CANINE FRIEND OF ANDY’S)
Otus is Andy’s dog – a 4-year-old German Short-haired Pointer that hails from Bear Paw Ranch, Sierra Vista, Arizona. Otus is named after the Long-eared owl, asio otus, another expert hunter and inhabitant of North America’s wild places. When not having treacherous encounters with porcupines and prairie rattlesnakes, you’ll find Otus greeting visitors on the front steps of the Enrico Education and Science Center on the Reserve.
Truly Herbert is a freelance writer and American Prairie Reserve supporter based in Washington, D.C.
WATCH MORE:
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=nskaef1Yvho&t=4s
One Step at a Time
By Fred Vallejo
“All wildlife need habitat. Prairie wildlife need big, un-tilled, and un-fenced habitat,” says Daniel Kinka, Ph.D., Wildlife Restoration Manager at American Prairie Reserve. “It’s a simple equation: the greater the number of adjacent acres, the greater the number of animals that can be supported.”
“It’s the aim of APR,” Kinka adds, “to have wildlife populations that are not just token herds, but wild and meaningful ecological forces.” He emphasizes that this philosophy applies to every animal from bison to prairie dogs – each species a vital contributor to a healthy prairie ecosystem.
Consequently, APR is working diligently to add more land to the Reserve. The organization tends to give preference to larger parcels because naturally, a bigger landscape supports more wildlife. But smaller parcels are not overlooked. Lower-acreage land acquisitions are valuable to the Reserve because they might serve as connectors to other APR-managed parcels or to large public landscapes, or they offer improved public access to Reserve lands. Plus, they’re usually more affordable than larger parcels.
According to Betty Holder, Senior Manager of Land Acquisition, any new addition to the Reserve must meet a set list of priorities. APR evaluates the property using a series of questions including: How big is the parcel? Is it in our project area? Does it contain valuable habitat? What type of grasses, plants, and wildlife does the property support? Can the land be grazed?
First and foremost, though, the land must be for sale and American Prairie Reserve must be able to afford it – no acquisition is possible without the support of donors. With that support, the organization is able to purchase and restore land to serve as important habitat, and also conduct scientific research that guides the building of a Reserve that will eventually be large enough to sustain a functioning prairie ecosystem.
In 2018, American Prairie Reserve completed its 27th and 28th land acquisitions thanks to donor support. Those purchases bring the total number
of deeded and leased acres stewarded by the organization to 405,169 acres –some 633 square miles.
One of the two properties totals 640 acres of deeded land north of the Missouri River. Located between two APR properties, the PN Ranch and Cow Island, the property includes a small portion of land in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. The area is known for its roaming herds of elk, bighorn sheep, and deer.
The other property includes 5,150 deeded and leased acres adjacent to the Reserve’s Two Crow unit south of the Missouri River, connecting it to the southern portion of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. The area as a whole provides key habitat for a wide variety of wildlife –everything from elk and mule deer to American white pelicans.
Not only are these two acquisitions a great demonstration of the impact
that donors have on this project, they are an example of the strides APR is making toward its goal. These two strategically-located properties are important pieces in stitching together the Reserve.
As land is added to the Reserve, Kinka hopes to achieve wildlife population densities mirroring those documented by the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and which existed throughout generations of the Indigenous People that inhabited the Great Plains. He explains, “This area is one of only four places left in the world where it is possible to save the prairie on an ecosystem scale. We envision a time when Americans will be able to see great herds of wildlife on the Reserve, much as they can today in Africa. Imagine that.”
Fred Vallejo writes regularly about conservation and nature. He lives in Park City, UT.
Photo
By Truly Herbert
W American Prairie Reserve National Discovery Center
ouldn’t it be exciting to be able to book a guided nature hike, attend a lecture featuring American Prairie Reserve scientists, or check-in for a prairie wildlife photography workshop, all from one central location?
Well good news — American Prairie Reserve recently purchased the historic Power Mercantile building in downtown Lewistown, Montana with the hope that it will eventually house all of these programs and more.
The new venue, called the National Discovery Center, will serve as a gateway to the Reserve and a jumping-off point for visitors traveling to experience hiking, wildlife, camping, and other recreational opportunities. Visitors will learn about the natural wonders of the prairie ecosystem and the human and biological history of the Upper Missouri River Breaks region of Montana. The National Discovery Center also will offer cultural and educational exhibits, programming, activities for kids, and events.
“We have received a lot of support from local community members and look forward to creating an inviting, educational
space that we believe will provide a lasting public benefit,” said Alison Fox, American Prairie Reserve CEO.
Fox said Lewistown was a natural choice for the location of the National Discovery Center for many reasons, including its proximity to the Reserve and nearby amenities like hotels, restaurants, and a regional airport. Before choosing the Power Mercantile building, APR spent more than 18 months searching for the right spot and received input from local community members, city leaders, and other stakeholders before choosing this location.
The hope is that the National Discovery Center, combined with ongoing efforts to build additional visitor facilities including campgrounds and huts, will encourage increased visitation and responsible tourism to both the Reserve and to surrounding areas.
The 13,000-square-foot Power Mercantile building, also known as the Reid’s building, was constructed in 1901 and was one of the first stone buildings in the town.
TC Power acquired this building to house his department store, and also owned the PN Ranch, which APR purchased in 2016.
“We are excited to be growing our investment in the Lewistown community,”
added Fox. “The Power Mercantile building has an incredibly rich history and we’re delighted to be able to contribute to the revitalization happening in the downtown area.”
The organization hopes to renovate and open the National Discovery Center in the next few years, but the exact launch date depends on the results of a multiyear fundraising campaign that will help re-design the current building, among other initiatives. Amercan Prairie Reserve hopes to further contribute economically to the area by housing part of its growing staff in the new Lewistown location.
Truly Herbert is a freelance writer and American Prairie Reserve supporter based in Washington, D.C.
GET INVOLVED:
SUPPORT our work, donate, and visit us today, americanprairie.org/give
HUT VISITATION: YEAR ONE
Spent two days at the Craighead Hut, one day at the Founders Hut, and nine days in the Montana wilderness coming down the Missouri River and backpacking. It was an incredible trip that really opened my eyes to how incredible this place is and the mountain views are just spectacular.
Andrew – Bozeman
What a great place to stay and spend the weekend I can’t remember the last time I saw the stars so clearly and the coyotes yipping in the background made the nights perfect.
Tom - Billings
During the summer and fall of 2018 the bunks and guest logs at American Prairie Reserve’s first huts began to fill. Built for the public, the public has been visiting in all its variety. The John and Margaret Craighead and Founders Huts hosted 225 guests from nine states and three countries in the first season of operation.
Located on the PN property of the Reserve, the huts have served as the basecamp for a variety of adventures. Over the summer, a trio of college students from Kansas visited both huts. They backpacked from Craighead to Founders, then hiked down to the Missouri River, inflated rubber boats, paddled back to Judith Landing, and hiked back to their cars. In September,
a group of friends from around the west met for a weekend of yoga and relaxation, followed by groups who brought bikes and explored the two tracks. During hunting season the roads on the PN are closed to vehicles and the traffic becomes hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. Two separate groups rode horses up to Founders Hut to hunt mule deer on the more remote parts of the PN. Just recently, a family from Lewistown celebrated the winter solstice at Craighead Hut. Family members arrived from as far away as New York City and hiked the mile and quarter into the hut.
In 2019, APR will build two new huts, one on the PN along the banks of the Missouri River, and another on the
Burnt Lodge unit on the eastern side of the Reserve. Over time, APR’s hut system will connect nearly 200 miles of prairie landscape and host outdoors people of all varieties. Booking for 2019 just opened, and spring and fall weekends are already filling quickly. Vist American Prairie Reserve’s website to book your space.
LIVING
WITH WILDLIFE
IN ONE OF THE
LAST WILD PLACES
American Prairie Reserve recently partnered with National Geographic Society (NGS) to present the Living with Wildlife conference in Lewistown, Montana – home of the future American Prairie Reserve National Discovery Center. The conference welcomed nearly 225 participants seeking to learn from one another ways to live with increased populations of wildlife, while making a living off of the land.
NGS, presenting sponsor of the event, recently announced American Prairie Reserve as one of their Last Wild Places – an effort developed by National Geographic Society to protect the places that sustain life on Earth. American Prairie Reserve was identified to be included on the list of five Last Wild Places
Photo by Janna Long.
Photo by Louise Johns.
because the location of the Reserve is one of the last places on the planet where landscape-scale conservation of grasslands is still possible.
Through the effort, APR will receive support from National Geographic Society’s Last Wild Places to capture best practices, amplify the scale of work being done on the project, and jointly develop and share tools, technology, and training that will greatly increase the impact of the broader conservation sector globally. The Living with Wildlife conference is an example of the partnership in action.
Chris Johns, Beyond Yellowstone Program Leader and former Editorin-Chief of National Geographic magazine , was on hand to welcome the crowd. “There are few places more spectacular than this. The rest of the world is watching with great interest in this iconic landscape and how we can make it a healthy place for generations to come,” he said.
More than 40 speakers took part in panel discussions that covered topics such as marketing livestock for sustainability, living with bears, and technology for wildlife conflict mitigation. One of the most beneficial aspects of the gathering was the presence of panelists with real-world experience in dealing with wildlife conflict.
Zachary Jones, co-founder of Yellowstone Grassfed Beef, is a fifth-generation Montana rancher who highlighted the success of using range riders with his herds. Jones said they have 2-4 people on horseback who are out with their cattle and act like predators by keeping the cows moving in a natural grazing pattern while also thwarting actual predators. Malou
Anderson, co-founder of the Tom Miner Basin Association near Yellowstone National Park, also spoke of the benefit of range riders for keeping bears at bay and the use of red strips of flagging on fences (fladry) to deter wolves. Anderson was a finalist for National Geographic’s Chasing Genius grant competition for an idea that she believes could revolutionize the way ranchers and predators co-exist. By implanting a microchip into cattle, Anderson can track the animal with the help of GPS technology. Should that calf show measurable signs of duress, ranchers will know about it immediately. They will also know where the calf is located, which enables them to respond quickly and thus reduce losses.
“Utilizing existing GPS technology can help cattle producers track livestock and monitor the activity of predators in the
area providing data points for conflict mitigation for the larger community,” said Anderson.
The goal of the two-day meeting was to build stronger bridges between communities of people who might disagree on how to manage wildlife. The relationship between agricultural producers and wildlife is a complex one in Montana and throughout the West and globally. More and more Americans support restored populations of elk, wolves, or bears on public lands, but with that comes challenges for farmers and ranchers who make their living off the land. Since the conference, organizers have received overwhelmingly positive responses and are considering making it an annual event.
Photo by Dennis Lingohr.
Photo by Gib Myers.
Photo by Gib Myers
Wings Across the Big Sky
Montana Audubon will host its 20th annual Wings Across the Big Sky bird festival from June 7-9, 2019 at the Cottonwood Inn in Glasgow, MT. This longstanding community event celebrates Montana’s native bird species, and typically draws hundreds of wildlife enthusiasts from across the state and beyond. American Prairie Reserve is honored to be the lead sponsor of the event.
Native prairies are some of the most threatened habitats on earth. Montana’s glaciated plains landscape contains large areas of intact grasslands, along with the stunning and fragile birdlife
JOIN OUR TEAM
these habitats support. Montana Audubon is proud to host its 20th bird festival in this beautiful, wildlife-rich area of the state.
A variety of field trips are in the works for the event that highlight the remarkable grassland habitats of Montana’s highline. The keynote address will be presented by Sean Gerrity, American Prairie Reserve founder, who will discuss the importance of the project to Montana’s grassland birds and other species. Additional speakers will discuss conservation issues affecting this ecologically unique region.
There are many other fun activities to choose from at Wings Across the Big Sky, including a Saturday evening banquet, Montana Audubon’s annual conservation awards, a “Nature Adventure Tour” silent auction, a “Cakes for Conservation” fundraiser and more. For more information, visit the “Outreach” section of Montana Audubon’s website: mtaudubon.org or call (406) 443-3949.
Join us for an adventure of a lifetime. We are accepting applications for temporary Reserve Technician positions in maintenance, fencing, and visitor support. Live and work on the Reserve – a spectacular and remote grassland region where your day-today responsibilities directly support the advancement of our mission to create a wildlife prairie ecosystem and recreation destination for public visitors from around the world.
If you can’t make it to the Reserve in person, here are a few ways you can join us in spirit:
The Way to Rainy Mountain by N.
Scott Momaday
“The Way to Rainy Mountain describes the history of the Kiowa people by weaving together historical narratives, tribal stories and myths, and Dr. Momaday’s personal experiences. These perspectives serve to deepen our understanding of the Kiowa tradition and spirituality, which is centered on the relationship between people and the landscape.”
— George E. Matelich, Chair American Prairie Reserve Board of Directors
N. Scott Momaday, Ph.D., is the 2019 Ken Burns American Heritage Prize recipient.
Bold Spirit
by Linda Lawrence Hunt
“Helga Estby set out to achieve what no woman had done before: to cross the U.S. on foot, unescorted. Her story was almost lost because her family viewed it as an embarrassment. It made me think of how many historical events may be lost to time because they were seen as unimportant. We are the historians of tomorrow and who knows what future generations may find noteworthy? ”
— Ellen Anderson, Reserve Assistant
FEATURED PARTNER: PARKS PROJECT
Products from Parks Project connect consumers with more than 30 park conservancies across the United States. They are advocates of the outdoors and work with parks to identify projects and priorities that need immediate attention. Living by the mantra, “Healthy Parks Make Healthy People,” they generate funding, create advocacy, and engage the next generation to pitch in. A portion of every APR + Parks Project product sold is contributed to American Prairie Reserve to help fund the removal of obsolete fencing to open up the landscape for wildlife movement and human experience.
Check out the newest designs at parksproject.us
Use code APR20 to receive 20% off American Prairie Reserve products (one-time use).
Going to Highwood by
John Stephenson-Love
“John grew up in central Montana, practiced law for 50 years, and was a longtime trustee of the C.M. Russell Museum. His family implemented some innovative conservation work on their ranch in the Highwood Mountains just west of American Prairie Reserve’s project area. This book details the history of the Highwoods and wonderful stories from John’s life. He is a living history resource for central Montana.”
— Randy Gray, Friend of American Prairie Reserve
Become a monthly sustaining donor and take an active role in restoring and preserving the
NEW: Active monthly donors giving $10 a month or more in 2019 will receive a 2020 American Prairie Reserve desktop calendar at the end of this year. Visit americanprairie.org/give to make your gift today!
