Some years ago, I can’t exactly remember when, it was suggested by some “foreign” radical thinkers that the Great Plains be fenced off from the rest of the country and turned into a buffalo preserve. They had western North and South Dakota in mind, as well as parts of Montana and Wyoming. As bizarre as this thinking was, there are still people who harbor such thoughts.

The story of such thinking, “Prairie Divide” by Hannah Nordhaus, is found in the February 2020 issue of National Geographic magazine. The movement is called the APR (American Prairie Reserve). The plan calls for the reintroduction of bison and rewilding a large swath of the northern plains, removing cattle, reestablishing native vegetation, and helping lost wildlife return and thrive. The APR is a conservation partner of the National Geographic Society’s Last Wild Places initiative, so we know where the NG people stand.

In 2001, biologist Curt Freese teamed up with Montana native Sean Gerrity, a former Silicon Valley consultant, to form the APR. They would use private money to patch together 3.2 million acres or 5000 square miles of private and public grasslands along the Missouri River. They acquired ranches from willing sellers. The plan was to remove the cattle that grazed the land, stock it with 10,000 bison, tear out interior fences, restore native vegetation, and create the conditions in which the region’s lost wildlife could thrive.

Since 2001, APR has raised $160 million in private donations, acquired 30 properties totaling 104,000 acres, and more than 300,000 acres of grazing leases on adjacent federal and state lands. To Gerrity’s way of thinking, it will cost $500 million to buy 500,000 acres of private land – half the price of a professional football stadium that has a shelf life of 20-30 years. Interesting comparison.

As you might suspect, many of the local ranchers, some of which are descendants of original homesteaders, see APR as a threat to the cultural resilience of the people who live there. “It worries me more than water, wind, drought, and prices,” says rancher Craig French, whose family is involved with the anti-APR movement. On fences all along the roads near APR, locals have strung banners that depict a cowboy and his son and say, “Save the Cowboy, Stop American Prairie Reserve.”

These rancher cowboys have reasons to be concerned. More and more property is being bought up by far-away people in Silicon Valley, New York City, and Germany. The average age of the principal ranch operator is 58. Are cowboys a dying breed? They fear “fewer kids in school, fewer tractors, bailers, swathers, post-pounders, cars, pickups, semis, trailers, and tires bought at local dealers.” These ranchers also have apprehensions about the brucellosis the bison may carry.

So what is this “cultural resilience” that French refers to? I’ll answer that as best I can. Cowboys and cowgirls are a lot more than western hats, neckerchiefs, and old faded blue jeans. First and foremost, they are responsible stewards of the land. It may be worshiping God shoulder to shoulder in a nondenominational church. What I value most is a dependency on neighbors viewed as a rite rather than an obligation. It is a wide circle of social activity not dependent on television or I-phones. One of the most enjoyable evenings of my life was spent in the Sorum, South Dakota community hall where neighbors from a 40 mile radius gathered. It is a cultural bonding that hasn’t existed beyond the Great Plains for generations.

I don’t know what beef production technology will look like in 2050, but if it replaces cattle born on the prairie under wild skies, it will be time to scream “enough is enough.” May we always have cowboys and the cowgirls who love them.

As for those “foreigners” who want the bison to once again rule our prairies, we have a wonderful system of national parks. If they want to buy a spread and put it to bison and native grasses, this is fine. To use their wealth to impose their will on these good people is unacceptable.

In conclusion, the APR people, according to National Geographic magazine, welcome hunters on their property. They talk about opening new access points to public lands along local rivers. Opening access to public lands is one thing. Hunting on APR land is another. To date I have not heard of anyone hunting mule deer, antelope, or elk on APR land, and I must say that I have my doubts about this.

See you next week.