Preserving Montana’s Grasslands: The Nature Conservancy’s Innovative Approach

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The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is an environmental nonprofit that works across the United States and globally to protect land and water ecosystems. TNC’s work includes a focus on scaling nature-based climate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and build resilience to the impacts of a changing climate.  

In Montana, the land use sector is a primary contributor to GHG emissions due to the sheer scale of the acreage of land, whether it be farming, ranching, forestry or industrial energy production. Ranching is one of the largest land use practices by acreage alone, and Montana has the largest percentage of intact grasslands of any of the states within the Northern Great Plains Ecosystem. There is an urgent need to protect large tracts of intact grasslands in Montana from land use conversion, which would have a regional and global impact on the scale of GHG emissions from the Land Use sector. 

The Montana Grassland Resilience and Conservation Program

In September 2024, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation awarded TNC a $1.2 million grant to support the Montana Grassland Resilience and Conservation Program, with a specific focus on expanding its grass bank program. This effort closely aligns with the foundation’s environmental and land goals of increasing the protection of native grasslands and the adoption of climate-smart ranching practices across Montana. 

TNC prioritizes land that is most at risk of conversion to farmland or other development and protects the land through its grassbank program or with conservation easements. Consisting of 60,000 acres in central Montana, the Matador Ranch grassbank offers a unique opportunity for ranchers in the area – access to pastures rich in grass to graze their cattle in exchange for adopting conservation practices on their own property. The foundation grant will help replicate the Matador Ranch grassbank model in a neighboring ranching community. 

The TNC grassland program also provides ranchers with technical support and quality science they can use to improve how they manage their land. TNC offers support for conservation practices that can save their ranch operations time and money, and they have the additional benefit of knowing the changes they make are good for nature as well.  Their improvements ultimately reduce GHG emissions, which benefits us all.

A recent conversation with Chris Bryant, Conservation Director at TNC, provided some thoughtful insight into the organization’s work and goals. 

Q: What different ways does TNC approach grassland protection based on Montana’s diverse landscapes? 

A: Our approaches are shaped by the communities we work with and the opportunities available in each region. While the core strategies are similar, centered on trust and collaboration, there are regional differences in tools and focus areas. 

In Eastern Montana, a key initiative is the grassbank, a rancher-led idea we adopted 20 years ago that has become deeply rooted in the community.  

In Southwest Montana, we’ve led the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership, a collaborative effort involving numerous public and private partners. This initiative provides a platform for innovation and learning while channelling funding to contractors and organizations working on grassland restoration and management. 

While tools like the grassbank are specific for now to Eastern Montana, some approaches, like innovative grazing practices and collaborative partnerships, are active across regions. Our strategies arise from each landscape’s unique needs and ideas, but there’s potential for cross-regional learning and application.  

Q: Your approach is built on trust and tailored to the community’s needs. But, can the approach shift depending on what’s required at the moment? 

A: Absolutely. For instance, the idea of the grassbank arose during a severe drought. It was a locally-driven solution, and we saw our role as part of the community, helping to address that challenge. Listening to the community and adapting our efforts to what works for them is central to our approach. We don’t want to impose conservation on anyone. In rural areas especially, it’s important to avoid coming across as a large, external organization forcing ideas on people. Instead, we focus on being responsive and collaborative and bringing conservation expertise to support the community’s needs and goals as we protect nature together.  
 
Q: Do you work with Indigenous ranchers? 

A: We do. We’ve had a long history of working with folks on the Blackfeet Nation.  We’re working to expand our efforts with the Fort Belknap tribal community, particularly with science monitoring and other projects that are in development to strengthen relationships with that community 

The Grassbank Model: Fostering Conservation and Community

Q: Regarding the grassbank model, what excites you about this approach? How is it unique, and how do you see it fostering long-term benefits for Montana’s rural communities? 

A: The grassbank is exciting because it provides grazing opportunities at a market rate while offering discounts for conservation practices on participants’ own lands. These voluntary practices give ranchers flexibility to choose what works for them, like optimizing grazing practices on native grasslands or implementing wildlife-friendly measures. 

Another unexpected but amazing outcome is the community it builds. Ranchers graze their cattle together, which is uncommon in this region. The model also empowers local organizations to shape and manage their own grassbanks, embedding their values and fostering both ecological conservation and community building. It’s a unique blend of supporting nature and strengthening social bonds. 

Q: How does TNC work with local stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of these efforts? 

A: A great example is our innovative grazing pilot program in Southwest Montana, supported in part by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Our approach is to collaborate at their pace and scale, co-developing solutions like grassbanks in Eastern Montana or virtual fencing in Southwest Montana. These are rancher-led, community-driven initiatives. By building solutions together, we create sustainable, durable conservation efforts that align with local needs rather than imposing ideas. 

Q: What specific outcomes do you envision for this program in the next few years? Do you have any set goals you hope to achieve? 

A: A major goal for us is establishing the second grassbank, and adding additional grass banks over time is also a big priority. Ultimately, it is about maintaining long-term relationships with landowners, preserving native grasslands and protecting wildlife habitats. 

Looking Ahead: Climate – Smart Ranching and Conservation

Collaborative grazing benefits both ranchers and wildlife in Montana. Cattle ranching has long been an economic driver for the state, and ranchers across the area understand the importance of keeping the land healthy for their own livelihoods and the well-being of wildlife.  

With this grant to TNC, the foundation is working to support the protection of intact grasslands from conversion in Montana, increase the number of ranchers who implement climate-smart ranch management practices, establish the second grassbank in Montana and develop new monitoring tools and protocols to assess the climate change impacts of improved ranch management practices.  

Photo credit: TNC – © Brett Kuxhausen