most this private land was open to everyone under Montana's Block Management program.....ive been hunting it for the last 10 years....





MALTA - A conservation group said Tuesday it has bought a 150,000-acre Montana ranch in a major step toward its vision of a national park-caliber prairie wildlife preserve that has stoked fears of change in the heart of cattle country.

Steve Page with Page Whitham Land and Cattle confirmed that the family-owned South Ranch near Glasgow had been sold for an undisclosed sum to the American Prairie Reserve. The Bozeman-based group aims to create a multi-million-acre grasslands wildlife complex around northeast Montana's C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

Scientists familiar with the reserve describe it as an unprecedented initiative to restore an often-overlooked ecosystem that supports hundreds of species of birds, mammals, plants and insects. The South Ranch purchase more than doubles the amount of land under the reserve's control. It includes both private land and public land with long-term leases.

Yet some local ranchers see the group's plans as an assault on their way of life as families that stuck with the cattle business through generations of blizzard and drought are bought out.

Those critics lump the reserve's goals with a contentious federal proposal to convert a vast swath of eastern Montana into a new national monument - an idea that continues to reverberate more than two years after U.S. Interior Sec. Ken Salazar repudiated it.

The sprawling South Ranch traces its history to a pair of Civil War veterans and professional bison hunters who moved into ranching after bison were wiped out from the area. But Page said restrictions on public grazing and higher government fees - combined with the prospects of a national monument - made ranching on the land no longer viable.

"We have concluded that traditional ranching operations in south Valley and south Phillips counties are in jeopardy of becoming history in the not so distant future," Page said. "We are not suggesting this to be the correct decision for others, but consider it to be right for us."

Page said that little will change immediately on the ranch. The terms of the deal give Page Whitham a 12-year lease to continue running cattle on the property.

Yet the ranch is now on path for dramatic alterations over the long term.

American Prairie envisions a herd of up to 10,000 bison roaming its holdings and adjacent federal and state lands. It already has started pulling fences on other properties it has acquired in the area.

"When the reserve is built out, we hope to have a prairie-based, fully-functioning ecosystem which includes the free flow of wildlife across the landscape," said Scott Laird, American Prairie's director of land acquisitions. "That is the end-game, but to get there is a coordinated process. There are other people we have to work with - the Bureau of Land Management, the state of Montana and neighbors."

To date the group has raised $48 million through contributions and pledges. It plans to spend approximately $500 million to build up its land base over the next 20 to 30 years, a figure that includes maintenance costs, said spokeswoman Alison Fox.

The group had total assets of $33 million at the end of 2010, according to its 2010 tax return, the most recent available.

Major donors have included John and Adrienne Mars, candy industry billionaires who have given at least $5 million. Brother Forrest Mars Jr. gave at least $500,000. The chairman of the reserve's board of directors, Gib Myers, is a California venture capitalist who donated with his wife, Susan, at least $2.5 million.

Donald Kennedy, president emeritus of Stanford University and chairman of the reserve's scientific advisory council, said most of North America's grasslands have been drastically altered by grazing, the introduction of non-native plants and other pressures.

The proposed scale of the American Prairie Reserve offers visitors the chance to see those grasslands as they once were, he said.

"They're getting up to a level on which an awful lot of Americans can visit and develop an idea of what the environment was really like at a time before human occupancy changed it," Kennedy said.

But for those who still work the land, that prospect puts the fate of the community in doubt.

"They keep saying they're saving it. But it already looks beautiful. They're not saving anything," said Vicki Olson, a reserve opponent and third generation Phillips County rancher. "If they get their way, they're going to sell it back to the government and they're going to take it off the tax rolls. It's going to kill the community economically."

Reserve representatives said even if their long-term goal is realized, the amount of land involved comprises only a small corner of Montana.

Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/sta...3b2-92c7-a4beb0562a6c.html#ixzz24CxATR5d

Did I miss the no hunting part?

Also, I hunted elk on American Prairie Reserve Land last year, free of charge.

Just sayin'.

I understand that hunting is allowed on these properties. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather see these greeny freaks hold the land and allow hunting than to see it bought up by another wealthy outsider that will close it all off or lease it out. Not too many guys out there that can afford to buy these ranches with the intent of raising cattle for profit anyway.

It all sounds very familiar.

We used to have at least some limited hunting on the Baca Grande, the area surrounding the Sand Dunes, and the Taylor Ranch.

Ken Salazar got involved and now they are all gone forever.

Interesting.

Maybe we jump to conclusions too quickly sometimes?

not really, if you look at who is donating huge amounts of money to this group you see that hunting is not one of their favorite subjects.....cant forsee hunting being allowed much after their goals are met....

Hunted there myself Sheridan...anxious to see what the future holds...one day there will be waterslide parks in the breaks...

Interesting project. Altho their dream of 10000 bison is going to take about 400000 acres and still require some herd management,with added consideration for the other wildlife species. Wonder how the process will be to get those federal permits reallocated from a set grazing season and AUM's to just let em do their thing?
The NEPA paper on that ought to be about 6 inches thick.
Then one has to wonder about the affects on everything, including the local county assessment and tax revenue if they do get it turned into a National Monument of some sort?

Last year their other properties were enrolled in block management. I spoke with a couple of "higher-ups" at the American Prairie Reserve in Montana and they said they intended to stay in the program and allow public hunting. I understand your concern Rattler but for now at least they seem to be trying to get along. In the short term, I have no doubt they're allowing hunting in an attempt to not alienate themselves any more then they already are. Long term, we'll have to wait and see I guess.

and ive sat through meeting with the higher ups and they do not strike me as anywhere close to being friends of hunters......right now they are in land acquisition mode and they will do what it takes to smooth the way for this, even if it means allowing hunting for now, but mark my words when all the dust settles when this is done the next move will be national park status and hunting will be gone....

Their ultimate goal is a 3 million-acre prairie preserve.

From today's Montana Standard: The �end-game� is the free flow of wildlife � pronghorn antelope, predators and up to 10,000 bison � across three million acres or more of public and private land, organizers said.

It's just the buffalo commons thing we been hearing about for about 30 years now.
Wonder what all they'll pull to get the 3 million acres contiquous.
Another problem that'll likely rear it's head, is the federal grazing permits being taken for non ag use, that's sure to light a storm and cause ripples across the Rocky Mtn West.

It was people with the same mindset who got the Canadian Grey wolves shoved into Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, in 1995, all with, of course, the "Best Intentions."

L.W.

APF bought out page last Spring, not really a big surprise as the writing is clearly on the wall. They want to replace cattle with buffalo.

APF has also made an offer or two over the years to buy out the grazing association where we have been running cows for the past 20 or 25 years. We border Page in certain areas so of course they want us out of the picture.

For the time being they allow access/hunting in certain parts of their holdings. However if you think they will continue to allow hunting after the dust settles I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken.

They pretty much have to go along with hunting now as they are still in the buying/public relations stage of their plan.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that APF isn't a fan of hunting.


This is not good.

Neat idea on paper but will turn into a chitshow.

And I guess I have to ask you guys,

What's wrong with the current management plan?

We graze under a pretty well thought out rest/rotation plan as it is. In fact in another week we move cows again for the second time this Summer to and from the CMR.
Are non-managed buffalo going to have less of an impact on the deer/elk/antelope/sheep/upland birds than cattle?


APF wants to restore the current pristine condition of the Breaks to the.....uh pristine condition it was 300 years ago.

Well, okay lets remove all the stock dams/tanks from the region.
Think that's gonna benefit the wild critters?

Hell, the only water that would be left out there is in the lake and we'll have to drain that as well, might be a little problem for natural migration patterns and all. I guess the wildlife will just travel 10-20 miles one way to the river to get a drink.

APF talks about this American Serengeti but I'm afraid it's a highly flawed pipe-dream.

they also seem to forget the indians were activly managing the environment with the regular application of intentionally set fires.....most of the "wilds" of the United states were intensely managed by the indigenous people for thousands of years before Columbus.....very lil land was actually left in a pure wild state even in areas with nomadic tribes....

Too bad that hunters and livestock producers are unable to join forces to deal with the APF. As it is, I don't see anything stopping them from getting their way. I don't trust that hunting will continue in perpetuity on these lands, but it wouldn't when they sold in most cases anyway. I'm all for the tradition of raising cattle to continue in MT... But only in the case of independent operators. Huge ranches purchased to provide tax write-offs to wealthy out of state interests are more of a blight than a benefit. The buffalo thing is stupid, then again what do you expect from a group of greeny freaks.

Another interesting thing about APF is that I'm pretty sure they operate as a non-profit organization. As in they can take in 'donations' but don't follow the same tax codes as a normal rancher or any taxpayer for that matter.

Get a bunch of tax free doantions to buy land, run a few buffalo as livestock(another screwy deal....) and buy up land. All but impossible to compete against that.

Gonna hurt the economy of Malta and Glasgow for sure. But of course the 'eco-tourism' boost is gonna be huge......laughin'

Yep, these guys can't be trusted one bit. I've never dealt with the American Prairie Reserve in particular, but from what I have read, they're a snake in the grass. I deal with similar groups all the time in the oil fields here in Wyoming's anal orifice. Them and NEPA make my life a living hell, though they're disguised as being in interest of "conservation", not the "environmentalism" they really are.

Any hunter who thinks this is a good thing isn't reading between the lines and seeing what's going on. I don't believe for one second they intend to allow hunting on there forever.

This was done in the Book Cliffs part of Utah. The grazing permit was retired via a land use plan admendment. The fly in that ointment is that funding for LUP work has to come from DC, it's not in the regular budget. So, if DC gives the money, it's not all that difficult...until the lawsuits start rolling in. However, those in favor of not retiring the permits aren't filing too many lawsuits, so the "other side" too often gets their way.

Again, it's already happened in Utah on BLM lands. The Grand Canyon Trust holds permits there and has made no appreciable use in probably over a decade. As long as the office authorizes the non-use it can continue. If they do not authorize it, the permit could be taken away after 2 years of non-use (I'd have to check the CFRs to verify the timeframe).

However, that does not mean that anyone else that meets the grazing permit requirements can't apply for that use, it still has to be authorized. That must be denied by decision, which could be appealed. Authorizing perpetual non-use is not a problem in the eyes of many top level managers. Sad.

Sam, since you asked, I'd say there is nothing wrong with the current management plan! If you are meeting the Montana Standards for Rangeland Health I see no problem with the status quo remaining exactly that. Funny how too many folks think that taking the "hand of man" off of things makes them better.

Though anecdotal at this point, but the "improvement" is quite underwhelming in some places where cattle have been replaced by bison. In some cases, the bison are causing problems that were easily mitigated when the were caused by cattle. It's a bit harder to get bison to use an area when and where you want them to...

I was curious as well about the part of them eliminating hunter access. Is that part of their agenda? I'm not sure how it is in Montana but in Michigan the large land holders get a smoking huge tax break through CFR (commercial forest reserve) if they allow access for recreation such as hunting, hiking etc. much like BLM lands. In fact the majority of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan is accessible to the public because of this. We have a ton of large paper companies that log for pulp wood that have all their land in CFR. While the land is in this tax reserve state they can't post it only limit vehicle travel to avoid property damage. Not looking to argue just looking for more information. I also dislike when well off folks suck up land for the sake of doing so to keep others off of it then blow their horns about being conservationists.

Agreed. One would think that the land would be better taken care of by those who have a vested interest in it such as cattle ranchers. I doubt it will be managed well by those who have no clue and can pass any type of mismanagement off as "natures way." Much like folks that have land in my neck of the woods who never manage the forest and just let it grow for generations. It doesn't hold game hardly at all, mostly just a bunch of overgrown trees and a tangle of fallen junk wood. One can hardly walk through it but it's "natures way."

[quote=pointer. Funny how too many folks think that taking the "hand of man" off of things makes them better.

Though anecdotal at this point, but the "improvement" is quite underwhelming in some places where cattle have been replaced by bison. In some cases, the bison are causing problems that were easily mitigated when the were caused by cattle. It's a bit harder to get bison to use an area when and where you want them to... [/quote]




When you see scenes like this you have to wonder if those were Angus or Herefords on "public" land what sort of deep doodoo would the permittee be in? My gosh the riparian area degredation repair would be a poster child for the "conservation" groups for decades to come

It's programs like your CFR that would rally huge support for cattle producers from hunters. Sadly, the two groups seem to prefer to be at odds. The political clout that both groups could wield together in MT would be formidable.

Interesting reading for someone clueless like me on such matters. Question though, if a rancher wants to sell who should (could?) he sell to if not the wealthy or an organization such as this? Maybe I am missing something.

no i dont really fault the owner as im sure these guys were one of the few ponying up the cash to buy.....this is more a symptom of a larger movement due to change and policies and such to force out ranching overall.....Page did what he had to and he had to largely based on changes in government policies about the land he was leasing from the BLM and such making it more difficult for ranchers to survive....

unfortunatly alot of people back east hear about these BLM permits for grazing and think ranchers are getting great grazing land cheap.....most people back east, if they actually set foot out on Page's(and Sam's families and grazing assosiation) BLM and CMR leases would be shocked at just how close to desert land it really is.....there are huge sections of BLM land out there that is nothing more than sagebrush, cactus and short grass.....and by short grass i mean SHORT, even if we got 2 feet ofrain the species never grows taller than 4 or 5 inches.....

this is not prime grazing land ranchers get for cheap, its land the government took over because there was no where near enough vegetation for settlers to be interested in it cause you need large numbers of acres per cow...

my issue isnt with Page for selling to these guys, my issue is the over all movement thats pushing all this to happen....

It seems to work well here. Most of the paper company folks are hunters and realize what a benefit this is for everyone involved. What and how they cut helps the deer and other wildlife. There is nothing better for food sources like some fresh cut maple and aspen (poplar). Some of these species do best when clear cut believe it or not. I know some folks think that clear cuts are eye sores and mismanagement but sometimes that is the best way for regeneration. Not to mention it gives them a good image and good relationship with the people and we have access to literally millions of acres of land because of it. Our forests are in better shape due to smartly cut sections of land rather than being left alone to become a recipe for a severe forest fire.

I've seen similar issues with elk. One ranch I worked with has leased out some moutain areas to sheep to move the elk off the creeks/meadows as they were well overgrazed.

Which of two inevitable fates is worse, these guys or the dreaded 20 acre "renchetts" populated with retired city-dwellers, loving nature?

To clear a few things up, I think Page had about 40k deeded and I know he had already given up his CMR permit several years ago. They(Feds) keep raising the rates until it becomes a losing deal, they don't like cows....

Anyway, a few years ago Page might have made a deal with MTFWP and had a conservation easement put on his deeded ground in exchange for another ranch that already had an easment in place. FWP got in the land buying game and did a little horse trading so to speak.

APF should, by law, be held to the easement as it was paid for by us(hunter's) through MTFWP funds.

And to be clear I've only met Page once along time ago, don't know him and don't have an opinion on him selling out.


I'd be real interested to hear/read the public comments taken in by FWP over their buff plan.


One thing about it, if FWP keeps getting cute with the buff plan a private landowner can sell to whoever in the hell they want.

There is some beautiful country out there that some rich [bleep] would love to build on. It would be a sad day but if they keep trying to [bleep] around with the buffalo plan maybe that's what'll happen.


Yeah, what's worse, sustainable grazing or helicopter pads and 10k square foot mansions blocking access to us hunters.


It truly will be a sad day when eastern Montana turns into western Montana.

Sam,

We were considering moving back to eastern Montana this past year or so, but decided against it because of the oil boom and it's side-effects.

One thing western Montana has over eastern Montana is a MUCH higher percentage of public land.

Ya got a point there on the oil boom MD. I just went through Wyoming, and places I used to hunt had little service roads and pumps and such all over them...

JB, guess I just don't like rich outta state yuppies and their fancy little houses. Everybody's broke out here and it's kinda nice that way...grin


The oil deal has me a little nervous, the slow pace sure is nice, hopefully it stays that way but I guess we'll see.


Headed out to the hills tomorrow, betting we don't run into any Subaru's and BMW's on the Willow Creek road!

And if we do they better look the [bleep] out.....laughin'!

Filled a few doe tags on that road Sammo....just walk across the flat and peek down into the wash that is the creek...
its a flat drag on a sled back to the truck...

Tom that 'creek' can be a sonuvabitch to cross!


Side note, I was up in the hills north of town cutting hay the last couple weeks. Lot's of birds and zero traffic. Okay maybe the occasional grain truck but that was it. Quiet is an understatement.

Friends in Three Forks are selling a place. Prospective buyer is the guy who runs one of the oil field service companies' North Dakota operations. He says that's as close as he wants his wife and kids to be to North Dakota...

It can be a sonuvabitch to pull a deer up and out of...but once you get it over the lip, you're golden!

We're 100 miles straight west of the epicenter and things are pretty much the same(so far). Little pass through truck traffic on the one major highway and a few sizemo rigs running around, minimus impact here.

Those gumbo creek cuts are like little Grand Canyons!

Wonder if Page has mineral rights?

APF would [bleep]' love a few rigs setting up camp!

Yeah but cooler than schitt if you've ever been there in the evening, glassing the flat...it looks like deer appear out of the ground from a distance

That would be cool.

What's not cool is when you're moving cows and you look back and see some ol' rip ducked outta sight in the creek bed and is hightailing it back the other way!

Cows ain't the brightest creatures...especially angus....

Oh now, them's fighting words!



grin

I knew they would be......


Those lowland cows would be ridin' the short bus if they could figger out how to get on!

Sam,

Not too many rich outastate yuppies around here yet, though there's a big concentration about an hour's drive to the southeast.

Around here we mostly have ranchers, long-time real-estate agents, bankers and other members of the local economy whose families have been here for 75-100 years or so, some meth-heads, some retirees who can't afford the Bozone or Zooville, and a few invaders (like us) from other parts of Montana who prefer the small-town life. Oh, and the employees of the local sawmill and lime plant. Lost the big invasion when the housing bubble went bust, including a big subdivision in the southern end of the county that was supposed to double our population.

I went through the last oil boom in your part of the world while living in Poplar. Made as much money as I needed working the rigs and got the hell out. Shortly after the boom went bust, but something tells me this one will stick around a lot longer.

he needs some of them designer oreo cows

Belted Galloways?!?!?!

As for the oil boom, they do have a way of bringing in the finest white trash you could hope for...My god some of the weirdo's that come for that work make the worst of walmarters look stellar.

Crime is out of control too, at least here in Rock Springs...I can only assume Williston is similar.

Ingwe's right about the number of new roads due to the oil work, luckily though they all get 100% reclaimed when the wells are no longer producers. Its either that or we all get to drive Ecars and look at wind energy eyesores all day long.

Crime has never been under control in Rock Springs since they built the damn place

See a bunch of 80-100 head north of Glasgow maybe 10-15 miles this year. They do look like Oreo's a bit

True, I work with Ed Cantrell's son...

It was wild and wooly before they sent Cantrell in there to try and clean it up. The mob had a real lock on the place.

I'm pretty sure the greenie purists are not gunna be able to live with that manmade reservoir forever, which'll put em up against the corp of engineers. That will be a fight they will need some inside help with.

They will get a lesson in tribal politics at some point too.

Ya know they will need some woofs to predate all the bovines in a natural way.

This ought to be quite a dance.

As far as the oil thing goes, it is gunna, ----only as far as there is oil. One outfit leased up about 375k acres in Daniels Co. this last year and the drilling is just starting. I suspect the res will be last due to the tribal politics but money will out.

I feel like I am watching a member of the family die a slow death. I am trying to get out now. I can't watch it any longer and can't subject family to it either.

Soooo, where to? Black hills? Is it going to go there too? Western Michigan, pretty different for a prairie boy. How can ya feel so sad in the face of such prosperity?

or glassing the flat, notice some bushes in the distance and when yah get there you find out they are the tops of 80 foot cottonwoods



we pulled the numbers recently......the per capita crima rate in Williston and Sidney are still around 20% of what it is here in the Point.....joys of reservation living....

Amen.

After working east of the divide this year, it gives me a whole lot more appreciation for the access we have over here. You're sharing it, but at least it's there.

You boys better stay over there on the westside, much safer in the Land of the Latte.


And you think oil field trash are bad?

You ain't seen nothin' yet.

Wait 'til you run into a crew of Plutonium miners!

Taking a core sample next to APF, okay we might have been 20 miles away but that's close out there. Samples turned out great, we're gonna start pit mining next week.

The supervisor on the ATV has the good job...

He was with OSHA, making sure everybody was wearing their hard hat.

I saw that!

Question for the experts....how many acres of land changed ownership?

In a free society private land changes hands all the time and the new owners get to decide how it is to be used.

Just go hunt on public land and stop crying about it.

Be thankful that game animals in America are owned by the People and not by kings or the state.

As one of the high line boys lemme say Good For You.

I'll guess 18,778.

Thanks DLS.

Do you consider buff to be wild game animals or livestock?

Be careful now, here's where it gets a little tricky!

Page, is that you?


laughin'!