Two visions collide amid push to restore Montana plains

An ambitious plan to return grasslands to the wild splendor of the past faces impassioned resistance from the present.

Justice Werk (on white horse) and Kassy Perez move cattle on the Werk ranch on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The tribal land neighbors the American Prairie Reserve (APR), a conservation project aiming to create an immense protected area in central Montana.

Published January 16, 2020

20 min read

This story appears in the February 2020 issue of National Geographic magazine. American Prairie Reserve is a conservation partner of the National Geographic Society’s Last Wild Places initiative.

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Two visions collide amid push to restore Montana plains

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