American Prairie: Giving Back to the Community

Dear Editor,

“What does American Prairie do for the community?” As the organization’s Senior Outreach Manager, and a Lewistown resident, I’m grateful to reflect on that question at the start of a new year.

First, American Prairie is part of this community. The same number of employees live in Fergus and Phillips Counties as in Bozeman – and this number will grow. Seven of us reside in Fergus County along with our partners and spouses, kids, parents, and even grandparents. We own and rent homes, send our kids to school, shop local, and volunteer.

One of American Prairie’s goals is to continue to expand our presence and support thriving, healthy communities. In 2021, American Prairie spent just shy of $5 million dollars (not including property purchases) in the seven counties where we own or manage land. More than $3 million of that was spent on Main Street in Lewistown, on everything from contractors to tires.

The National Discovery Center (NDC) is open three days a week – and by appointment. Since opening a year ago, 3,000 visitors have come through our doors. The majority are Montanans, many of them children. The NDC offers world-class grasslands natural history and ecology exhibits, and is a remarkable resource for our community. That’s why dozens of teachers have brought their students, and why half a dozen locals volunteer at the front desk.

We know it’s important to give back to the community. I manage our budget for sponsorships and donations, and have not turned down any request to support an event, cause, or community initiative – from our Cancer Center to yearbook ads, sports tournaments to the Sheriff’s Office’s canine unit. I also oversee donations of bison harvests and lodging stays: those opportunities have raised tens of thousands of dollars for local groups and charities through auctions and raffles. Our public bison harvest, which prioritizes locals, has put thousands of pounds of meat in freezers. Another 10,000 pounds of bison meat went into community pantries and to the Montana Food Bank this past year.

Our work is possible because of the past and ongoing stewardship of ranchers in the region, many of whom we collaborate with now. In 2022, 16 ranches participated in our Wild Sky Ranching Program, receiving payments for conservation projects, wildlife friendly fences, camera-trap documentation of wildlife, and more. In 2022, 88 percent of our land was leased to ranchers, some of whom employ managers and staff who live on our properties, running over 10,000 head of cattle. In perpetuity, we will want conservation minded ranchers, with whom we share a desire for healthy lands, animals, and communities, as our neighbors. Any student of ecosystems, any rancher or range scientist, knows that healthy landscapes are diverse ones – that’s how any system becomes resilient. Likewise, there is room for recreation, wildlife, agriculture, and tourism to collectively support a vital Central Montana.

We are committed to doing the hard work of showing up, of listening and learning, and honoring our neighbors. Last year we held two listening sessions in Lewistown, one focused on recreation and access, and the other on agriculture. I was enormously grateful for the presence and feedback of community leaders at those sessions. From these conversations and many others, we strive to continue building bridges and creating collaborations. More sessions are planned for 2023, and you can always contact me to learn more or share feedback.

There is still trust to build. My ask of my community is that you make informed determinations for yourselves. My commitment to those I work with – friends and neighbors, ranchers, NGO’s, tribes, commissioners, conservation districts, businesses – is transparency, respect, learning, and a desire to not just coexist but work together, which, I firmly believe, is necessary for the places we love to thrive.

Corrie Williamson is American Prairie's Senior Outreach Manager and a Lewistown resident. You can contact her at [email protected].

Corrie Williamson, American Prairie Senior Outreach Manager

Lewistown, Mont.