Conservation Easements and American Prairie, Phillips County

American Prairie's land-buyback model in Phillips County is often described just as deeded and leased acreage, but part of its assembly runs through actual conservation easements held by outside federal and state agencies. Two concrete examples show what that means for land near the organization's holdings.

This page covers what's specific to Phillips County. For the general explanation, see the national guide.

American Prairie's model mixes deeded land, leased land, and conservation easements

American Prairie's overall regional habitat base -- roughly 605,000-plus acres as of the most recent reporting, split between deeded and leased acreage -- is usually described in those two categories alone. But at least some of the organization's Phillips County acquisitions have come with a third, distinct legal layer: an existing conservation easement held by a federal or state wildlife agency, not by American Prairie itself. That distinction matters because a conservation easement is a separate, recorded property interest -- the easement holder (not American Prairie) has the legal authority to enforce the restriction, and that restriction stays in place regardless of whether American Prairie or a future owner holds the underlying land.

Two concrete examples: a USFWS wetland easement and an MFWP-held easement

In one recent Phillips County acquisition, American Prairie added a property comprising roughly 3,075 deeded acres and 1,885 leased acres, of which approximately 1,847 of the deeded acres are subject to a Conservation Easement held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, intended to protect and promote waterfowl habitat -- consistent with USFWS's broader Waterfowl Production Area easement program used across the Prairie Pothole region. In a separate acquisition, the roughly 1,762-deeded/320-leased-acre Pintail Flatt property came with an existing conservation easement managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks rather than the federal government. Both examples show the same underlying pattern: American Prairie is acquiring land that, in some cases, was already permanently restricted by an agency easement before the organization bought it, layering its own conservation-oriented management on top of a legal restriction it does not itself control or hold.

What this means if you're evaluating land near American Prairie's holdings

If you're considering land that borders, was previously part of, or is being marketed alongside American Prairie's holdings, don't assume a parcel's conservation status (if any) is uniform across the organization's land base -- some of it is simply deeded fee land under American Prairie's own management, some is leased public land, and some carries a permanent easement held by USFWS or Montana FWP specifically. Ask directly which category applies to any specific parcel, since a USFWS- or state-held easement means that agency, not American Prairie, is the party you'd need to contact regarding the easement's exact terms, any public-access rights it may or may not include, and what activities remain permitted on the land. If you're evaluating a parcel that was never part of American Prairie's acquisitions but sits near land that is, ask specifically whether any wetland or waterfowl-habitat easements on neighboring land could affect drainage, water rights, or access relevant to your own property.

Conservation Easements and American Prairie in Phillips County, Montana

American Prairie's model mixes deeded land, leased land, and conservation easements

Two concrete examples: a USFWS wetland easement and an MFWP-held easement

What this means if you're evaluating land near American Prairie's holdings

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