Ranchers in the region are invited to adhere to wildlife-friendly standards on their ranches and required to follow specific rules when grazing their cattle on American Prairie's parcels.

Within large but securely fenced areas, American Prairie is developing a bison herd with attention to heritage genetics and minimal cattle introgression.

[3] Before the 1800s, bison were a keystone species for the native shortgrass prairie habitat as their grazing pressure altered the food web and landscapes in ways that improve biodiversity.

[6] The bison coexisted with elk, deer, pronghorn, swift fox, black-footed ferrets, black-tailed prairie dogs, white-tailed jackrabbits, bears, wolves, coyotes, and cougars.

While the homesteaded parcels were generally insufficient to support a family, the grazing of cattle that extended onto adjacent rangeland owned by the federal government was viable.

Prairies were generally overlooked as mountainous areas that were relatively unproductive for western settlement, or forest reserves that could provide the nation a steady supply of timber were recognized.

The relatively pristine condition of the land and the diversity of wildlife species north of Russell NWR was identified as a top priority for grassland conservation.

[28] The adjacent 377,000-acre (589 sq mi; 1,526 km2) Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument was created in 2001 with public lands that were mostly already managed by the federal government.

[28] The American Prairie Foundation was formed in 2001 as an independent, non-profit organization with the mission conserving the existing diversity of plants and animals as a refuge for people and wildlife.

[29]: 46  They ultimately envision a wildlife conservation area over 3 million contiguous acres (12,000 km2) through a combination of both private and public lands with a fully functioning mixed grass prairie ecosystem.

With the Russell NWR and Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument together already encompassing nearly 1.3 million acres, self-sustaining populations of native wildlife with big migration patterns are possible.

[30] The Timber Creek property acquisition in 2012 of more than 150,000 acres (61,000 ha) of deeded and leased public land shares a 16-mile border (26 km) with the Russell NWR.

[33] In July 2022, the public’s access was facilitated by the enrollment of nearly 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) into the block management hunter program of the recently acquired 73 Ranch which supports healthy populations of elk, mule deer, pronghorn, turkeys, pheasants and waterfowl.

[36] Grizzly bears take advantage of river bottoms for cover and are well-adapted to life on the prairie as at one time they occupied most of the Great Plains.

[40] Their holdings increased in 2024 when they acquired the Lazy J5 ranch adjacent to the White Rock unit and another parcel near the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.

[47] While the majority of the grazing has been on their deeded holdings, the BLM in 2022 authorized converting permits on some leased lands which would allow American Prairie to grow the herd to 1,000 animals by 2025.

[14] Semi-annual bison handling operations are held to complying with state and federal regulations, monitor overall herd health and maintain appropriate stocking rates.

[53] American Prairie leases grass to local ranchers for approximately 10,000 head of cattle on its properties in Phillips, Valley, Fergus, Blaine and Petroleum counties.

Nine other standards individually increase the premiums paid out: installing wildlife-friendly fences,[55] rejuvenating native plant communities through prescribed burns, keeping cattle out of riparian areas, and agreeing not to harm predators.

[56] Enrolled landowners using motion-sensing camera traps set up on their properties can earn per-species payments for images captured of large carnivores such as cougar or black bear.

[14] The ranching community in Phillips County has also responded to programs by The Nature Conservancy that include progressive efforts such as bird counts, managing their land to promote wildlife, and using rotational grazing techniques often referred to as “regenerative agriculture,” which emphasizes grassland health as much as beef sales.

[6][61] Evidence of the continuing concerns can be seen in signs posted with the message "Save The Cowboy, Stop The American Prairie Reserve"[24] and organized opposition such as the United Property Owners of Montana and the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance of South Phillips County.

[62] The designation of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in 2001 was viewed by some ranchers as a federal land grab that would ultimately displace them although it allowed for the continuation of existing grazing permits.

[14] There is a sentiment that the reserve is threatening and lacks respect for a culture that for more than 150 years has preserved the unplowed prairie that now makes this the ideal location where the vision to return this landscape to what it was like before white settlers arrived can be fulfilled.

[63] A longtime rancher and property owner, who is within the bounds of the planned reserve, says this is an assault on her business, culture and those living and working here and that the area is good for growing production livestock which has been the highest purpose of the land for over 100 years.

[64] The plan for the reserve is clear that it will be amidst an area where the predominant economic activity will remain the raising of cattle on homestead parcels along with adjacent rangeland leased from the federal government.

[70] In 2019, the Montana House of Representatives passed a resolution asking the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to deny the bison grazing proposal from the American Prairie.

[60] Papers published include studies of beavers, cougars, upland game birds like the Greater sage-grouse, bison and pronghorn migration ecology, and research on the endangered swift fox.

[81] A Smithsonian project sought to identify how grazing patterns of different mammals (bison, cattle, prairie dogs) impacted the abundance and diversity of plant and insect communities.

[98] In March 2023, David Pogue's podcast, "Unsung Science", mentions American Prairie on an episode discussing rewilding at the Knepp Wildland.