'As of the year 2002, The Nature Conservancy has Plains Bison (Bos bison bison) on eight native grassland preserves in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Five of these herds are owned and managed by the Conservancy, two of these herds are owned by other private bison ranchers and run on Conservancy preserves under a lease arrangement, and one herd is owned by a university that manages the preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy. All except one are year-round resident herds.'

'At present, the herd on these Conservancy preserves totals 4,080 head of bison, the over-wintering count, on 84,440 acres (34,172 hectares) of native grassland. Expansion plans at several preserves will increase the count to approximately 4,840-head on 108,000 acres (43,706 hectares) by the year 2005. Follow the links listed here for a short description of the bison herds at each preserve.'

1. Cross Ranch Preserve, North Dakota.
2. Samuel H Ordway Memorial Prairie, South Dakota.
3. Niobrara Valley Preserve,Nebraska.
4. Medano Zapata Ranch, Colorado.
5. Smoky Valley Ranch, Kansas.
6. Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas.
7. Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Oklahoma.
8. Clymer Meadow Preserve, Texas.

Acknowledgements

This article is a lightly edited reproduction of source material provided to docents of the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve by The Nature Conservancy for dissemination to the public.