AMERICAN PRAIRIE
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
With less than three percent of temperate grasslands under any form of protection, the region of Montana American Prairie works in has been identified as a conservation priority by organizations including The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN considers Montana's Northern Great Plains one of only four remaining places in the world where large-scale grassland conservation is still possible (the others are the Kazakh, Mongolian, and Patagonian steppes). American Prairie is working to ensure at least one of these vanishing landscapes is set aside for future generations before the window of opportunity closes forever.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Land Acquisition & Access
Our mission is to create the largest nature reserve in the contiguous United States, a refuge for people and wildlife preserved forever as a part of America’s heritage. Biologists have determined that a prairie would need to be around 5,000 square miles (roughly 3.2 million acres) in order to be a fully functioning ecosystem complete with migration corridors and all native wildlife. By building on existing protected lands, American Prairie can buy a relatively small amount of land and still achieve landscape-scale results. Multi-jurisdictional management of the eventual wildlife complex will be conducted by the various entities with land ownership and wildlife management authority. Using the American Prairie model, a patchwork of ownership transforms into a seamless prairie ecosystem. When these fragmented public and private lands are connected, the prairie will provide a continuous land area collaboratively managed for wildlife and recreation, the largest of its kind in the lower 48.
Bison Restoration
The American Prairie bison herd was established in 2005 with the reintroduction of 16 animals. In grassland ecosystems, large grazing animals such as bison and elk modify the physical environment through grazing, trampling, and fertilizing, creating habitat upon which birds, plants, and insects are highly dependent. Bison wallows become temporary mini-wetlands and the species’ impact on the ecosystem extends well beyond their life as their carcasses become an important food source for carnivores. Since then, the herd has grown to approximately 813 animals, and American Prairie has donated over 400 animals to conservation and tribal herds. The bison herd is one of the greatest opportunities for collaboration. American Prairie employs a Bison Restoration Director whose primary responsibility is to coordinate management of the herd and to establish the long-term strategic planning for herd management. Smithsonian is the primary bison research partner and focuses on impacts on land.
Public Access
American Prairie aims to provide people with a rewarding experience by offering rich scientific, educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities. Whether it is to educate on the urgency of protecting imperiled grassland ecosystems through an exhibit, or to provide an inspiring firsthand “boots-on-the-ground” prairie experience, our effort to create memorable visitor experiences rests on the belief that people care most about places they know best. We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the natural wonder of American Prairie through activities such as hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, camping, bicycling and hunting. As we grow and evolve the visitor experience, we are continually borrowing from what we view as the most effective and innovative examples from around the world. By establishing the prairie as a destination, we aim for visits to become as much of a tradition as trips to mountains, deserts, seashores and forests.
Education & Research
We believe that connecting people with the landscape in meaningful ways is central to our goal of instilling a deeper appreciation of the prairie and its wildlife in the general public. In line with our mission of providing quality visitor access, we seek to offer the Prairie as a living resource for educators, students and researchers. We routinely host educational programs for local students and visiting college groups and have partnered with graduate students to provide research internships. The American Prairie Field school in partnership with the Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS), offers 6th through 8th grade students the opportunity to spend three days and two nights learning in the field under Montana’s big prairie skies. Classes study a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum with visits from Smithsonian Institute and American Prairie research scientists. Subjects will include astronomy, plant biology, wildlife ecology, geology and more.
Rewilding
American Prairie’s vision is to fully restore the shortgrass prairie ecosystem in an identified region of Montana’s plains, which covers the central and northern part of the state. Successful restoration means the wildlife species that are native to this region are present and fulfilling their natural ecological role. The guiding principle for restoration is that there is an essential value to restoring and conserving biodiversity at all levels (genetic, species, and ecological), including connecting ecosystems and maintaining natural disturbance. The model for the prairie requires collaboration across communities, agencies, and property lines. Biodiversity restoration is no different. Regardless of American Prairie’s role as a driver, collaborator, or supporter, there are several actions are needed across the region over the long term in order to achieve ecosystem-scale restoration, including reducing habitat fragmentation and restoring grazing by native species, as just two examples
Community Engagement
We strive to be good neighbors to all people on the prairie, to work collaboratively, and to make positive contributions to the communities around us. American Prairie prioritizes spending locally, and is already contributing significantly to the regional economy through its daily operations. We have spent more than $30 million (and counting) in the region where AP owns property, including land purchases, wages to local staff, tourism activities, equipment and supply purchases, payments to local contractors, and real estate taxes. Helping visitors understand the region's cultural heritage is also an important part of our work to share the unique landscape of the prairie. We provide educational opportunities, honor the region’s rich history, and find innovative ways to work with neighbors that match our shared goals for wildlife. We seek to be collaborative, share the land and its stories, and have a positive economic and cultural impact.
Human History Preservation
We are committed to preserving the elements of national heritage that have colored the area and shaped the story of Montana’s grasslands. American Prairie’s human history endeavors seek to reveal stories of settlement and habitation while honoring the spirit of those who made the northern Great Plains their home, from the Indigenous Peoples who lived on the land for centuries to the pioneers who followed in the footsteps of explorers like Lewis and Clark. Developing strong relationships within Montana’s Indigenous communities is important to us as we work to preserve and honor the land, to rebuild a seamless landscape for people and wildlife, and to tell the intricate story and history of the region. By respecting and learning about and from these communities, we strive to gain a deeper understanding of tribal heritage. In addition to being good over-the-fence neighbors, we seek to develop mutually beneficial collaborations with Montana’s Indigenous communities, working with and along.
Wild Sky Program
People living and thriving among healthy populations of wildlife is critical to the success of American Prairie. Wild Sky is a collaboration between American Prairie and landowners that live in key wildlife corridors and neighboring communities in central Montana. Private landowners in the region make important land management decisions that impact ecological conditions on and off the prairie. When these decisions align to benefit the land, wildlife, and people, huge strides are made toward collaborative conservation.
National Discovery Center
The National Discovery Center is a rendezvous point for visitors going to the prairie, a vibrant place for community building and partnership, and an important educational resource on the importance of grassland ecosystems to the health of our planet. The NDC is located a short drive from the prairie in Lewistown, Montana. It is open to the public and hosts an ever-growing lineup of local, regional, and national activities and programs that stir visitors to love and want to preserve the prairie and all of its inhabitants. The NDC features interactive exhibits about the prairie ecosystem, community meeting spaces, and a film theater. The Exhibit Hall includes interactive exhibits and the Night Sky Theater that explore the nuances of the prairie ecosystem.
Where we work
External reviews
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
American Prairie's bold vision is the creation of a grassland reserve on Montana’s Northern Great Plains that will span more than 3.2 million acres of public and private land when complete (an area roughly the size of Connecticut). By purchasing approximately 500,000 acres of private land, American Prairie will link together more than 3 million acres of adjoining public land to create a seamless landscape capable of supporting a fully-functioning grassland ecosystem. Campers, birdwatchers, photographers, students, and others find a warm welcome on the Reserve, ensuring our children and those who come after have the opportunity to experience a stunning part of our state’s natural heritage.
With less than three percent of temperate grasslands under any form of protection, the region of Montana we work in has been identified as a conservation priority by organizations including The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN considers the Northern Great Plains one of only four remaining places in the world where large-scale grassland conservation is still possible (the others are the Kazakh, Mongolian, and Patagonian steppes). American Prairie Reserve is working to ensure at least one of these vanishing landscapes is set aside for future generations before the window of opportunity closes forever.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
American Prairie intends to acquire and manage approximately 500,000 private acres, which will serve to glue together roughly three million acres of existing public land. Multi-jurisdictional management of the eventual wildlife complex will be conducted by the various entities with land ownership and wildlife management authority including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Montana Department of State Lands, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and American Prairie. Conservation biologists have determined that a mixed-grass prairie would need to be approximately 5,000 square miles (roughly 3.2 million acres) in size in order to be a fully functioning ecosystem that supports the full complement of native prairie biodiversity and provides room to endure episodic localized natural phenomena like fire, disease and winter ice events. Since 2004, we have completed 36 transactions to build our habitat base of 455,840 acres. Of that total, 121,023 acres are private lands owned by American Prairie and 334,817 acres are leased public lands (federal and state).
As a free-standing non-profit, American Prairie receives the vast majority of its funding from private contributors. About ten percent of our funding comes from private foundations interested in land conservation; about 90% comes from individuals.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Founded in 2001, American Prairie has a proven track record of success. Our progress to date includes:
• Fundraising: More than $241 million raised since inception. To date, we have received
contributions from 50 states and 12 countries.
• Land Acquisition: American Prairie owns or leases more than 455,840 acres of public and
private land. (see map)
• Science and Wildlife: American Prairie is engaged in a range of field studies, projects and management discussions with its science collaborators, including Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation (ASC), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the Bureau of Land Management. Projects include bison reintroduction, noxious weed control, controlled fire regimes, cougar and pronghorn range monitoring, prairie dog restoration, grassland bird surveys, and citizen science wildlife data collection.
• Public Access: The Reserve is open for a variety of uses including hiking, biking, hunting, wildlife viewing and horseback riding. There are lodging options including a campground and huts. American Prairie is in the early stages of installing trails and signage to improve the visitor experience.
American Prairie's capable staff draws on the best practices of for-profit businesses to manage its nonprofit enterprise. Our staff represent a variety of professional backgrounds and skills. We also have a National Council and Scientific Advisory Council comprised of experts in a variety of fields who provide advice to our project.
Our Board meets five times a year, with two in-person meetings and three phone meetings per year, and provides financial oversight. We have six standing committees (executive committee, audit committee, board building committee, community involvement fund committee, safety committee and compensation committee). Board members must vote to approve our yearly budgets and major spending initiatives.
As a Board and staff, we run our business each and every day following the principles outlined in our six values. In our interactions with one another and with those outside our organization, including our donors, our partners and the community around the Reserve, we do our best to act in accordance with these values. We share them with you here because we believe they are a window into our organization and our culture.
Our values are:
Openness with Respect
Innovation and Optimism
Continuous Improvement
Execution
Sustainable Pace
Teamwork
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
American Prairie's goals are ambitious. To date, we’ve assembled 455,840 acres of public and private land, with the long-term goal of eventually assembling 3.2 million acres. Public access opportunities abound and as the Reserve grows over time, we will continue to add campgrounds, hiking trails, etc. Our bison herd numbers about 450 animals, and our long-term vision is that it will eventually number in the tens of thousands.
Full details of our progress may be found on our website at: http://www.americanprairie.org
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
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AMERICAN PRAIRIE
Board of directorsas of 08/29/2023
Mr. George Matelich
Kelso & Co.
Mr. Gib Myers
Mayfield Fund
Sean Gerrity
American Prairie- Founder
Clyde Aspevig
Clyde Aspervig Studios
Susan Matelich
Private Investor, Active Volunteer
Susan Myers
Philanthropist
Keith Anderson
Chairman and CIO Anderson Global Macro
Tim Kelly
ED of Earth HQ at Global Commons Alliance
Jacqueline B Mars
Retired Vice President, Mars, Inc.
Nancy Mueller
Retired Founder/President, Nancy's Specialty Foods
Alan Airth
Board of Directors, Mars Incorporated
Alison Fox
CEO, American Prairie
Bill Hilf
CEO, Vulcan
Bob Greenlee
CEO, Tusk Holdings
David Coulter
Special Limited Partner, Warburg Pincus
Jay Abbe
Retired President/COO, JDS Uniphase
Jeffrey Talpins
Founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of Element Capital Management
Jill E. Bough
Photographer
Karen Petersen Mehra
Active Volunteer
Liliane A. Haub
Philanthropist
Mara Talpins
Active Volunteer
Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph. D.
President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Steven N. Cousins
President and CEO of Cousins Allied Strategic Advisors, LLC
Wesley Matelich
CEO, Rx Green Technologies
John Banovich
Oil Painter
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes