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Come stand in the vast, open prairie we call home. Plant your feet wide, breathe deeply of the clean, dry air, and slowly turn a full circle. Let your gaze stretch out to the horizon in every direction and behold a universe of grass, dotted with herds of antelope and cattle, and darting flocks of birds. With the sun warming your face, drink in the endless blue and capricious clouds of the Montana sky. Feel the restless prairie wind, hear nothing but the lilting songs of myriad birds, and know as we do, that it’s a blessing to be alive in such a place, and an honor to steward this land.
The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance is headquartered in south Phillips County, Montana. The area is home to a tremendous abundance and variety of wildlife, about three dozen multi-generational ranch families, and almost no one else. Species of plants and animals here today are nearly the same as those catalogued by Lewis and Clark 200 years ago, save the subtraction of wild bison, wolves and grizzlies, and the addition of livestock and grain crops.
Ranching is the foundation of local economy, culture and conservation, and has been for over a hundred years. Harsh weather, gumbo roads, isolation and a lack of amenities tend to discourage modern settlers. It’s a three hour drive to reach a Wal-Mart or McDonald’s, and we like it that way!
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People accustomed to lush green country often dismiss this land as barren and abused. It seems logical to assume that the monotony of sunburned grass, much of it ankle high, tattles on greedy overgrazing by ranchers. But short, patchy grass is a sign of healthy northern prairie, and signals home to wildlife adapted to thrive with little more than that and lots of open space. This immensity of grass and sky is a stronghold for pronghorn, mule deer, prairie dogs, sage and sharp-tailed grouse, burrowing owls, mountain plovers and a dozen more species of grassland birds that are disappearing elsewhere.
Due to difficult soils and scant rain, huge expanses of this land haven’t been tractor-tamed for grain production. There are few cars, fewer houses, almost no weeds. Ranchers here are incredible stewards of the land, the third, fourth or fifth generations of their families to caretake the prairies. That the area is 99% weed free is no small feat these days.
Please join us in the following sections as we share information about this wonderful place we call home. |
Website content © Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, 2008. Header photo © Anne Sherwood. Website updated 6/9/2008.