The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 851: The Promise and Controversy of American Prairie
Mar 23, 2026
Alison Fox, CEO of American Prairie and longtime leader in bison conservation and land restoration. She describes building a 3-million-acre public-private landscape, bison recovery and herd management, land acquisitions and funding, grazing permit disputes with the BLM, public access and hunting policies, and plans for long-term stewardship and species reintroductions.
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Bison Are Central To Restoration Work
- American Prairie started a conservation bison herd in 2005 and has raised ~2,000 bison total, about 940 on the landscape now.
- Alison says ~650 bison have been distributed to help start tribal and other conservation herds.
Land Purchases Trigger Cultural Reaction
- Land buys are always willing-buyer, willing-seller transactions; Alison emphasizes most neighbors accept market sales and some transition leases back to sellers.
- She notes controversy arises because change threatens a perceived local way of life.
BLM Production Standard Threatens Bison Grazing
- Bison were permitted as livestock on BLM allotments for decades, but BLM proposed a new "production" standard that could restrict bison grazing permits.
- Alison says the proposed change reinterprets rules without precedent and threatens many conservation and tribal programs.
