The Buffalo Commons

On March 27, 2024, The Ivan Doig Center for the Study of the Lands and People of the North American West at Montana State University hosted at talk at the Museum of the Rockies entitled: “The Buffalo Commons: A National History, A Regional History, A Family History.” Deborah and Frank Popper saw the rural decline in Great Plains states and suggested replacing economically struggling agriculture with a vast, restored grassland populated by buffalo. This idea they called the Buffalo Commons. 37 years later, they reflect on that vision, its modern relevancy, and its consequences for Montanans and themselves.

or Download