American Prairie is an organization that sees Montana’s future tied to two unchanging truths: Folks will come from all over to see the big skies and wide open prairies. And without efforts to conserve the land, the entire state may be in trouble.

Even as American Prairie continues to be the target of Montana leaders who worry about the land conservation organization that has reintroduced bison herds to parts of central Montana, those same adversaries have stayed mum on the transformation of a downtown block that has become a national visitors’ center and interactive museum dedicated to the state’s last, best prairies.

Lewistown prides itself on being the geographic center of the state. But in addition to being the center, the mid-sized Montana town reflects so many aspects of the Treasure State, including snow-capped mountains that surround the some of the best ranching land in the state.