Prairie Reserve’s happy dance
In case you missed it, the American Prairie Reserve (APR) recently reported through various media outlets that one of its trail cameras photographed a grizzly bear that wandered onto the PN Ranch owned by APR. The bear’s appearance was hyped as a win for APR’s Wild Sky rewilding effort to bring large carnivores back to the prairie.
The press release reflected APR’s happy dance and welcome of a grizzly bear that traveled many miles to grace the PN Ranch with its presence. APR erroneously claims that “this is a powerful and historic discovery, as it provides some of the first evidence of grizzly bears in the Missouri River Breaks in about 100 years.” Actually, there have been multiple recent sightings of different grizzlies in Fergus County, so APR’s claim that the PN sighting was a first is totally bogus.
American Prairie Reserve’s working theory is that a fully functioning prairie ecosystem can only be had by the restoration of all the native wildlife species, including free roaming bison and associated top predators such as wolves, lions and grizzlies. So, where did APR get an entitlement to help re-wild our prairie with grizzlies?
The last time I checked, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was in charge of grizzly bear management under the Endangered Species Act. If delisted, grizzlies would fall under the management of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that has a draft 2022 grizzly bear management plan that would be implemented.
Currently there are four grizzly bear recovery zones identified in Montana, none of which include properties owned by APR. In fact, the PN Ranch is well outside the established recovery zones so the PN bear could be a candidate for removal from this area.
APR denies it is involved in grizzly bear relocation efforts even though their Wild Sky program facilitates predator movements onto the prairie. APR’s true colors are revealed, however, by their staff biologist Daniel Kinka who tells a different story about APR’s wildlife restoration goals. In his newsletter sent exclusively to APR’s membership, Kinka writes:
“Restoring the role of large carnivores in this ecosystem has been part of the American Prairie mission since the organization was founded more than 20 years ago.”
“I am proud to work for an organization that has given the bear such high quality habitat to wander.”
Here is the “white bear” in its evolutionary cradle after a multi-year journey of hundreds of miles … to live alongside grazing cows, unassumingly and all but unnoticed.”
“This is not the “horribilis” of wilderness frontier fantasy but an indicator of a wilder, better prairie.”
What planet are these people from?
If there was a summary message to APR from area farmers and ranchers, it would be: Agriculture has been in place in central Montana for more than 100 years. We will not accept nor do we embrace your fantasy to implement a prairie rewilding plan. Be assured, we do not share in your happy dance for grizzly bears and their presence in this agricultural region.
Ron Poertner is a rancher in Winifred.