206: The Real Yellowstone

Conservation and Science

Why is the farming community so opposed to the American Prairie Foundation's rewilding vision? Can ranchers and conservationists find common ground when grizzly bears are eating cattle and wolves are reducing elk herds? What happens when well-meaning conservation efforts clash with rural communities who've worked the land for generations?

To explore these contentious questions, I sit down with filmmaker Tom Opre and associate producer Tony Bynum to discuss their latest documentary, ‘The Real Yellowstone’. Tom returns to the podcast after previous episodes about his films ‘Killing the Shepherd’ and ‘The Last Keeper’, bringing his unique perspective on conservation conflicts around the world. Tony, with his background in resource management and Native American heritage, adds crucial insights into the complex dynamics between land use, science, and policy. Together, they've spent years documenting the realities facing rural communities caught between traditional ways of life and modern conservation initiatives.

Our conversation reveals parallels between the Montana ranching conflicts and the land and wildlife management debates we've seen in Scotland and Africa. We delve into the American Prairie Foundation’s ambitious plan to create a 3 million-acre wildlife preserve, complete with 30,000 bison managed by wolves and grizzly bears. But the reality on the ground tells a more complex story. Local ranchers, some with families who've worked the same land for over a century, feel threatened by outside organisations with deep pockets and different visions for the landscape. We discuss the practical challenges of living with recovering predator populations, from grizzly bears wandering into backyards to wolves reducing elk numbers that support thriving hunting economies. The film, as well as our conversation, doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable truths about modern conservation, including the role of wealthy outsiders driving up land prices and fundamentally changing rural communities.

Further reading:

• The Real Yellowstone - The Real Yellowstone delves into the lives of ranching families who find themselves at the heart of a complex struggle. As stewards of both livestock and wildlife, these ranchers, whose families have worked the land for generations, face a web of rising real estate prices, predator attacks, and a powerful conservation movement that seeks to reshape the landscape they call home.

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