Considering APR Control of Local Land

Being the eternal optimist that I am, I initially hoped that the Glasgow Courier’s Probing the Project column would finally help to open up communication between the American Prairie Reserve (APR) and the local community along the Hi Line.

Based off of the APR’s responses to various questions, it seems like the APR lacks the capability to answer difficult questions with any hard data or substance and even evaded questions all together.

What I did learn is that the APR is unwilling to devote funds directed towards public relations in our local community. They are unwilling to include a formal group of local stakeholders who would share input on APR decisions. They are unwilling to compromise their goals to coexist with the local agricultural sector.

Consequently, the APR is unwilling to prioritize feeding an ever-growing population above establishing their own legacy, and against their idea of creating the reserve for the betterment of humanity.

They believe that the proposed area only accounts for cattle production, overlooking wheat, barley, oat, alfalfa, pea, and lentil production (to name a few) that will be eliminated if they reach their goal.

They completely evaded answering a question regarding a former APR employee who now works with Fish Wildlife and Parks, because this is a blatant conflict of interest, and may also explain how they obtained special leasing privileges.

One of the wealthiest people in the world is an APR board member whose family ranch is located in eastern Montana along the Tongue River.

Could this contribute to the lion’s share of the 6 percent of APR’s eastern Montana donations? I wonder why this board member doesn’t push for the reserve to be placed on their 82,000 acre ranch?

Furthermore, they are using Lewis & Clarks journal entries from the 1800s as their scientific basis of managing 10,000 bison.

Unfortunately, my hopes in the APR being an honest and good neighbor to the Hi Line are deflated.

APR’s president states their private contributions enable a sure and steady growth of the reserve. While they may have willing donors, the Hi Line still has to provide over 3 million acres of sure and steady willing sellers in order for the APR’s dream to become reality. While the outcome remains to be seen, our agricultural sector is in control of our destiny in this scenario. Our friends and neighbors who have owned this land for generations still hold control of the vast majority of the Hi Line.

Do you want an entity with this type of transparency to control your family lands? The future is in your hands.