Working Together
Post by Clemson Montana Summer Program student Elyse Wiederhorn
Republican and Democratic parties are the best examples of groups with the opposite ideas and opinions. People are so passionate about their parties that many stray away from the subject matter at dinner parties and family events because it can turn into a full-fledged debate or argument. In most states this is one of the most controversial topics, but in rural Montana one the most disputed subjects is between ranching and conservation. On one side you have ranchers who want the plains to be utilized for grazing cattle and on the other side you have conservationists who want to restore the plains by replacing cattle with bison that originally roamed the land. This is only one of the most heated parts of the debate, but it illustrates the constant struggle that the people of Montana face.
In our time on the Great Plains we heard three sides: the rancher’s side, the conservationist's side, and the middle party, the RSA (Ranchers Stewardship Alliance). On the first day we visited the ranch of Leo Barthelmess and spoke with his neighbor Connie French. As members of the RSA, they value wildlife conservation more than other ranchers in the area. We toured the ranch and discussed the conservation aspects they are trying to implement while still running a working ranch. By applying wildlife friendly fencing, many species are saved from a terrible fate. For example, the bottom wire on the cattle fencing is raised so the Pronghorn are able to move smoothly across without injury. The fencing also has white reflectors used to deter sage grouse from flying into it. Leo also allows a family of prairie dogs to inhabit his land which helps many other species like badgers, grazers, snakes, burrowing owls, and the landscape in general. Prairie dogs are a keystone species because they develop habitats and act as a food source for other animals. To control the weeds on his land organically, Leo raises rambouillet sheep and uses them for meat as well as wool. He also occasionally burns some of his grassland to reduce the amount of invasive cheatgrass which harms the landscape. Through these procedures, Leo is attempting to coexist with the wildlife and preserve the traditional terrain while still running a profitable cattle and sheep ranch. While roaming the ranchland we even encountered a porcupine which illustrates the diverse wildlife inhabiting Leo’s land. I was immensely impressed with Leo’s actions because his desire is to conserve and protect the plains with all its creatures, which is a major goal for conservationists as well as being an important aspect to successfully running a business. He is incorporating the idea of a “happy medium” in between the hardcore ranch lifestyle and hardcore conservationist lifestyle, which I believe is necessary in order for conservationists and ranchers to live in harmony.
Some ranchers who are not part of the RSA do not believe in conservation of wildlife. They only believe in protecting their livestock by any means necessary and not incorporating wildlife friendly practices. We did not converse with these types of ranchers, but they do exist on the Great Plains and have voiced their opinion regularly. After visiting Leo’s estate, we made the hour and a half journey to the American Prairie Reserve to camp out for the next four days. During the first night, I talked to several of the occupants who were devoted to restoring the plains to their original state before homesteaders occupied the land. This opened my eyes to other people’s opinions on the future of the prairie because just hours before we had conversed with ranchers who had different views. The conservationists discussed with us the idea of replacing cattle with American Bison. The cattle are only able to utilize 60% of the prairie while bison can use much more since they were naturally selected for it. The American Prairie Reserve is slowly bringing back the bison to the prairie and I asked, “Why don’t the ranchers just raise bison since they are much better equipped for this landscape?” Steve Forrest answered by conveying the tradition that ranchers feel obligated to carry on. The ranchers are unwilling to switch to bison since their ancestors always raised beef cattle and that is what they grew up doing and it has been working for decades. Bison are less domesticated and have a wild streak in their DNA which makes them more of a challenge to handle. However, Steve Forrest claimed that some have switched to bison and have had great success, but it is a risky scenario. If the ranchers invest in raising bison and it fails for some reason, they could lose their ranch that was in their family for decades, and therefore their livelihood. I found this incredibly interesting and it enlightened me even more to the ongoing debate between the two parties.
While spending the four days at the American Prairie Reserve we were able to participate in many exciting and rewarding experiences. For instance, when we spot-lit for the elusive black-footed ferret we witnessed a mother ferret moving her four kits to a new den. Randy Matchett, a US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, remarked that it was one of his most rewarding experiences in his whole career. Since there are only 400 black-footed ferrets in the wild and are considered the most endangered mammal in North America, it was an extremely rare event to observe.
After participating in this once in a lifetime activity, we helped spray prairie dogs for fleas so that they would have a decreased chance of contracting the black plague. Spending 4 ½ hours spraying white powder into prairie dog dens left us all with an immense feeling of satisfaction since we knew that we were saving lives. By partaking in these activities, it made me value the work of these conservationists who dedicate countless hours to reintroducing wildlife to the Great Plains. Daniel Kinka, Wildlife Restoration manager, agreed to talk with our group about the goals and future plans for the American Prairie Reserve. He explained that the goal of the reserve is to acquire 3 ½ million acres of land in order to sustain 10,000 bison instead of the
mere 800 currently there. In addition, he conveyed that the reserve is funded by donations and is meant
to be open to the public for camping as well as for hunting. Daniel included his attempts to work side by side with the ranchers. He explained that the ranch owners had economic incentives to adopt some of the conservationist’s methods. It was fascinating listening to him discuss his passion and how excited he was for what the future had in store.
During our time talking to ranchers and conservationists it became apparent that both had different objectives, but they were beginning to work to fulfill both of each other’s goals. Ranch owners adopted a few of the conservationist methods like using wildlife friendly fencing and coexisting with prairie dogs on their land. In turn, conservationists in the American Prairie Reserve have paid ranchers to allow certain wildlife species to inhabit their land and have helped pay for fencing around certain areas instead of using lethal methods. This was immensely impressive considering that ranchers previously saw the American Prairie Reserve as threatening outsiders. By beginning to work together and putting aside their differences, they are protecting an important ecosystem.
In our time on the Great Plains we heard three sides: the rancher’s side, the conservationist's side, and the middle party, the RSA (Ranchers Stewardship Alliance). On the first day we visited the ranch of Leo Barthelmess and spoke with his neighbor Connie French. As members of the RSA, they value wildlife conservation more than other ranchers in the area. We toured the ranch and discussed the conservation aspects they are trying to implement while still running a working ranch. By applying wildlife friendly fencing, many species are saved from a terrible fate. For example, the bottom wire on the cattle fencing is raised so the Pronghorn are able to move smoothly across without injury. The fencing also has white reflectors used to deter sage grouse from flying into it. Leo also allows a family of prairie dogs to inhabit his land which helps many other species like badgers, grazers, snakes, burrowing owls, and the landscape in general. Prairie dogs are a keystone species because they develop habitats and act as a food source for other animals. To control the weeds on his land organically, Leo raises rambouillet sheep and uses them for meat as well as wool. He also occasionally burns some of his grassland to reduce the amount of invasive cheatgrass which harms the landscape. Through these procedures, Leo is attempting to coexist with the wildlife and preserve the traditional terrain while still running a profitable cattle and sheep ranch. While roaming the ranchland we even encountered a porcupine which illustrates the diverse wildlife inhabiting Leo’s land. I was immensely impressed with Leo’s actions because his desire is to conserve and protect the plains with all its creatures, which is a major goal for conservationists as well as being an important aspect to successfully running a business. He is incorporating the idea of a “happy medium” in between the hardcore ranch lifestyle and hardcore conservationist lifestyle, which I believe is necessary in order for conservationists and ranchers to live in harmony.
Some ranchers who are not part of the RSA do not believe in conservation of wildlife. They only believe in protecting their livestock by any means necessary and not incorporating wildlife friendly practices. We did not converse with these types of ranchers, but they do exist on the Great Plains and have voiced their opinion regularly. After visiting Leo’s estate, we made the hour and a half journey to the American Prairie Reserve to camp out for the next four days. During the first night, I talked to several of the occupants who were devoted to restoring the plains to their original state before homesteaders occupied the land. This opened my eyes to other people’s opinions on the future of the prairie because just hours before we had conversed with ranchers who had different views. The conservationists discussed with us the idea of replacing cattle with American Bison. The cattle are only able to utilize 60% of the prairie while bison can use much more since they were naturally selected for it. The American Prairie Reserve is slowly bringing back the bison to the prairie and I asked, “Why don’t the ranchers just raise bison since they are much better equipped for this landscape?” Steve Forrest answered by conveying the tradition that ranchers feel obligated to carry on. The ranchers are unwilling to switch to bison since their ancestors always raised beef cattle and that is what they grew up doing and it has been working for decades. Bison are less domesticated and have a wild streak in their DNA which makes them more of a challenge to handle. However, Steve Forrest claimed that some have switched to bison and have had great success, but it is a risky scenario. If the ranchers invest in raising bison and it fails for some reason, they could lose their ranch that was in their family for decades, and therefore their livelihood. I found this incredibly interesting and it enlightened me even more to the ongoing debate between the two parties.While spending the four days at the American Prairie Reserve we were able to participate in many exciting and rewarding experiences. For instance, when we spot-lit for the elusive black-footed ferret we witnessed a mother ferret moving her four kits to a new den. Randy Matchett, a US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, remarked that it was one of his most rewarding experiences in his whole career. Since there are only 400 black-footed ferrets in the wild and are considered the most endangered mammal in North America, it was an extremely rare event to observe.
mere 800 currently there. In addition, he conveyed that the reserve is funded by donations and is meant
to be open to the public for camping as well as for hunting. Daniel included his attempts to work side by side with the ranchers. He explained that the ranch owners had economic incentives to adopt some of the conservationist’s methods. It was fascinating listening to him discuss his passion and how excited he was for what the future had in store.
During our time talking to ranchers and conservationists it became apparent that both had different objectives, but they were beginning to work to fulfill both of each other’s goals. Ranch owners adopted a few of the conservationist methods like using wildlife friendly fencing and coexisting with prairie dogs on their land. In turn, conservationists in the American Prairie Reserve have paid ranchers to allow certain wildlife species to inhabit their land and have helped pay for fencing around certain areas instead of using lethal methods. This was immensely impressive considering that ranchers previously saw the American Prairie Reserve as threatening outsiders. By beginning to work together and putting aside their differences, they are protecting an important ecosystem.
