“But it’s important to point out that the majority of that would be — is — public land,” said American Prairie public relations manager Beth Saboe. It also opens up access to land previously tied up in a legal dispute along with Bullwhacker Road, which the Public Land Water Access Association described as “the only reasonable access” to acreage in the Breaks. “This is a win for anyone who cares about public access to our shared lands,” said Newberg in a statement provided by American Prairie. Prairie land takes a long time to restore, but American Prairie sees signs of ecological hardiness, Saboe said. These three acquisitions bring American Prairie’s total habitat base to 603,657 acres, which comprises 167,070 deeded acres and 436,587 leased public acres.