Montana
American Prairie is about preserving Montana land, not taking it away • Daily Montanan
American Prairie recently announced two property acquisitions in Phillips County, one of the seven counties in which we own property. Chuck Denowh, policy director for United Property Owners of Montana, used this announcement to question our presence in Central Montana.
Denowh lists a “parade of horribles” regarding American Prairie, accusing us of hastening the decline of central Montana’s agricultural economy and communities and threatening Montana’s general fund revenues by our non-profit status. He even holds us responsible for increases in food prices.
Mark Twain quipped, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
Here’s what we know:
Around 62 percent of Montana’s land is dedicated to agriculture with more than 58 million acres of farms and ranches. A recent article about American Prairie in Gun Dog Magazine noted, “If American Prairie is afflicting the local economy, it hasn’t shown up in the data. In fact, unemployment in the region has gradually fallen since American Prairie was established, and population is up slightly. The agricultural sector is currently at a 10-year high.”
In 2023, 89 percent of our total land base was leased to local cattle ranchers supporting more than 7,000 head of cattle. On lands where our herd of 900 bison graze, American Prairie pays a per capita tax 2.7 times higher than those fees charged for cattle.
American Prairie pays property taxes for land, vehicles and equipment, just like every other rancher. Staff and lessees living on American Prairie land or in nearby communities pay into their local tax bases. American Prairie contributes to increased revenue from lodging taxes as we continue to promote visitation in the region. In the last four years, American Prairie has paid more than $573,000 in taxes (real, personal, use, etc.) to the counties where we own property.
America’s farmers, the world’s most productive, annually produce food surpluses that last year supported exports worth $175 billion. The recent increases in the cost of food are an inflationary phenomenon driven by a massive injection of federal money into the nation’s economy.
Land prices are increasing across the United States, including ranch and farmland in Montana. The 2022 USDA Land Values Summary found the value of pasture land in the state rose by 10.7% per acre between 2021 and 2022, a little less than the nationwide average increase of 11.5%. Data like this indicates that American Prairie is not driving the cost of land.
The growth of American Prairie has little influence on the long-term demographic and economic trends in Central Montana. Extended drought, market fluctuations, international trade policies, personal family decisions and global integrated agricultural markets have much larger impacts.
We buy land from willing sellers and are but one player in the marketplace. We pay market rates and are limited by IRS regulations from paying more than 10% above appraised value. Having an additional buyer in the market place is surely a benefit, and we are helping families secure their futures.
American Prairie is organized in section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such we are exempt from business income tax and our donors receive a tax benefit. It is interesting to note that Montana’s property tax system annually exempts more than $50 million of property taxes for tax-exempt organizations and certain tax-exempt types of property.
Montana’s non-profits play important and often vital roles in our communities. They provide support for cultural and religious institutions, fill gaps in health care, and offer enhanced educational opportunities. Instilled during our nation’s founding, our deeply ingrained culture of philanthropy is the envy of the world. If Denowh wishes to campaign to change this situation, I wish him well.
A final note: Mr. Denowh represents an organization allegedly supporting property rights and limited government. Yet he is the ring leader of efforts to use the power of the state to attack the legitimate business practices of American Prairie. Isn’t it ironic that a property rights group seeks to use the cohesive force of government to intervene in the peaceful and voluntary transactions of consenting parties?
Pete Geddes is American Prairie’s Vice President and Chief External Relations Officer. He has been with the organization since 2011.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 30, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 30 drawing
01-27-35-44-52, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 30 drawing
05-08-09-11-15, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 30 drawing
15-18-22-27, Bonus: 14
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 30 drawing
04-27-65-66-69, Powerball: 04
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 30 drawing
17-19-23-32-38
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 30 drawing
05-14-22-28-30, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
A group of legal and civil rights organizations late Friday sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over conditions at Camp East Montana in El Paso, the country’s largest immigration detention facility.
“Camp East Montana is nothing short of a civil rights catastrophe,” Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, said in a statement. “We’re suing to ensure that no other human being has to endure the inhumane treatment that the Trump administration has inflicted on our clients.”
The Texas Tribune has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Filed by the ACLU of Texas, the ACLU, the Texas Civil Rights Project and law firm Farella Braun + Martel, the federal lawsuit comes less than a year after the opening of the sprawling tent camp.
In that time, the facility has seen at least three detainee deaths, a measles outbreak and nearly 50 detention standards violations as reported by ICE’s own inspectors, prompting calls for the camp’s closure from immigrant advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
The civil rights groups behind the lawsuit also alleged in a December letter that detained immigrants were subject to medical neglect, physical and sexual abuse by officers, insufficient food and denial of meaningful access to attorneys. In March, ICE switched out the facility’s prime operator for a more experienced contractor, saying the agency would “work closely with them” to improve services, including higher standards of medical care. Still, in a subsequent letter to ICE dated May 22, the groups said the situation “continued to deteriorate” and outlined additional complaints such as hazardous dust exposure.
Friday’s lawsuit argues that conditions at the facility are “unconstitutional punishment” and violate detainees’ due process rights under the Fifth Amendment.
“These conditions are longstanding, pervasive, and well documented, and Defendants’ continued inaction in the face of known risks shows their deliberate indifference — not mere negligence — to detainees’ constitutional rights,” the lawsuit said.
The petition, filed on behalf of four detainees, is also seeking approval to proceed as a class action to cover all those who are currently or will be detained in Camp East Montana.
One of the plaintiffs is Gerald Akari Angye, a detained immigrant who called the conditions at the camp “inhumane and cruel.”
Prior to this lawsuit, the 35-year-old man had filed a petition in January seeking release from ICE detention. According to the filing, Angye was a high school teacher in Cameroon but fled after being kidnapped and tortured amid a separatist conflict. He sought asylum after crossing through a New Mexico port of entry in December 2024. An immigration judge later denied his application, and Angye appealed.
In a statement provided by the civil rights groups, Angye said he had been beaten at Camp East Montana and never thought he would face “such severely violent treatments” in the United States. He was also placed in solitary confinement for 15 days, according to the lawsuit.
“No one deserves such cruel treatment,” he said. “We are all humans and deserve to be treated like it.”
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar said in a statement to the Tribune that she is grateful for the legal fight. A leading critic of Camp East Montana, the El Paso Democrat called the facility “a purgatory for human beings held there.” She also vowed to continue her oversight visits and demand for the tent camp’s permanent closure.
Camp East Montana, first opened in August 2025, is located on Fort Bliss U.S. Army base.
Expected to ultimately reach a 5,000-bed capacity, the camp had a daily average of more than 2,500 detainees as of April 2, according to the most recent public data from ICE. The facility has also held the largest number of detained immigrants thus far in fiscal year 2026, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University found.
“Camp East Montana is at the epicenter of the administration’s cruel deportation agenda,” Savannah Kumar, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement.
Disclosure: ACLU Texas has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Source link
-
Wyoming15 seconds agoYour Wyoming Sunrise: Monday, June 1, 2026
-
Crypto5 minutes agoFed Gov. Waller Champions Stablecoins and Dismisses CBDCs | PYMNTS.com
-
Finance12 minutes agoCrypto’s 24/7 Derivatives Era Is Forcing Traditional Finance To Adapt
-
Fitness15 minutes agoHybrid training: is this the secret to getting fitter and stronger?
-
Movie Reviews27 minutes agoMovie Review: Beware the “Backrooms” of Your Worst Nightmares
-
World35 minutes ago
FIFA says match tempo, and limiting time-wasting, will be point of emphasis at World Cup
-
News42 minutes agoVideo: Another Night of Violent Protests Outside a Newark ICE Detention Center
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoTrump floats MAGA rally instead of concert after musicians drop out of Freedom 250
