Buffalo Commons

The authors viewed the historic European-American settlement of the Plains States as hampered by lack of understanding of the ecology and an example of the "Tragedy of the Commons".

[4] The Poppers note that periodic disasters such as the Dust Bowl and continuing significant population loss over the last 80 years show the area is not sustainable for large-scale farming.

One way to achieve this would be through voluntary contracts between the Forest Service and Plains farmers and ranchers, in which owners would be paid the value of what they would have cultivated over the next 15 years.

In the meantime, they would be required to plant and reestablish native Shortgrass prairie grasses and forbs, according to a Forest Service-approved program.

[4] The proposal attracted some public attention, particularly since several Plains states and Native Americans on their reservations had already started reintroduction of bison.

[citation needed] Given the pace of rural depopulation, many scholars believe that aspects of the proposal are likely to happen with or without national government involvement.

States, non-profit community development groups, and Native American nations have found the concept supports some of their own ideas about the future.

[citation needed] North Dakota's 2000 economic roadmap noted the Buffalo Commons idea was "vilified", but had elements that could be of use to the state.

In November 2009 The Kansas City Star published an editorial that claimed the aquifer was almost depleted and noted the biggest asset of the high plains was its prairie.