Montana’s American Prairie Adds Over 3,400 Acres in 2022

Land acquisitions expand habitat base stewarded by organization to more than 455,000 acres

American Prairie is pleased to announce the purchase of three separate parcels of land in 2022, which adds an additional 3,412 acres to its habitat base to date. These properties were all pieces of private land located within or adjacent to existing American Prairie-owned units.

The conservation organization has acquired the following parcels:

• 760 acres in Timber Creek, in Valley County
• 1,080 acres in the 73, in Garfield County
• 1,572 acres in Dry Fork, in Phillips County

The additional deeded acres increase American Prairie’s total size to 455,840 acres of deeded and leased public land across seven counties in central and eastern Montana.

“It’s exciting to see American Prairie continue to grow each year. Properties like these may be smaller in size, but they are just as critical to creating a contiguous landscape where wildlife can move and thrive,” said Alison Fox, CEO of American Prairie.

American Prairie has owned the expansive Timber Creek property since 2012, and it is comprised of more than 150,000 acres of deeded and leased public land. It was the nonprofit’s first purchase in Valley County and shares a 16-mile border with the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. The Dry Fork unit in Phillips County was added in 2015, and is close to the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. This area is known for its sharp-tailed grouse habitat and mule deer, white-tailed deer and pronghorn populations.

The 73 was a major acquisition for the organization in late 2021, and American Prairie proudly welcomed the public to hunt, hike and recreate on it in 2022, providing access that previously wasn’t possible. The wildlife-rich property is located along the east side of the Musselshell River in Garfield and Petroleum Counties. The added 1,080-acres within the 73 creates a protected area of more than 33,000 acres and solidifies access to 9,300 acres of public land that was previously inaccessible.

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About American Prairie

American Prairie’s vision is to create a vast and collaboratively-managed prairie destination that serves as a fully functioning ecosystem for wildlife, and offers visitors permanent access to the landscape that shaped our nation’s character. Already open to the public for recreation including camping and hunting, American Prairie offers visitors an opportunity to connect with nature on a truly grand scale. Learn more at americanprairie.org.

American Prairie Reserve, PO Box 908, Bozeman, MT 59771, United States