国家地理:牧野分歧(8)

"The constraint on wildlife populations is not what the habitat will support, but what humans will support," says Daniel Kinka, an APR restoration ecologist.

“约束野生动物数量的不是栖息地选择什么，而是人类选择什么”，美国草原保护区恢复生态学家丹尼尔·金卡说。

The group has always sought to engage its neighbors, keeping properties open to the public for hunting, camping, hiking, fishing. But in the face of implacable opposition, it also has made some adjustments. "The end goal is still a 5,000-square-mile wildlife reserve," says Alison Fox, who took over as APR's CEO in 2018. "But how we're going to get there, we're really open to new and innovative ideas."

该组织一直寻求跟邻里的合作，他们让场地对公众开放，允许他们打猎、露营、徒步旅行和钓鱼。但在面对无法调和的反对声浪时，它也做了一些调整。“最终目标仍然是5000平方英里的野生物保护区”，2018年担任美国草原保护区执行总裁的艾莉·森福克斯说。“但怎样实现这一目标，我们期待有新的、创新的想法。”

One of those ideas is APR's Wild Sky program, which pays ranchers to adopt habitat- and predator-friendly practices, such as installing wildlife-friendly fences and not removing prairie dog colonies, in order to create "soft boundaries" that allow wildlife to move safely back to their historic habitat. Since 2014, the Wild Sky program has paid more than $230,000 in incentives to a handful of local ranchers, including Lance Johnson, whose cattle also graze on one of APR's properties. A few neighbors have hassled him for working with the conservation group, but he appreciates the help. "I think they have an idea and a real lofty goal for the future," he says.

有一个想法就是美国草原保护区的野生天空项目，它资助农场主们采取对栖息地和捕猎者友好的措施，比如安装对野生动物友好的围栏，不拆除草原土拨鼠的聚集地，好创造一个软边界，允许野生动物安全的迁回他们过去的栖息地。2014年开始，野生天空计划向一部分当地的牧场主支付了超过23万美元的奖金，其中就包括兰斯·约翰逊，他的牛同样在美国草原保护区的一处草场上放牧。一些邻居因为他跟保护组织合作而指责他，但他很感激保护区的帮助。他说：“我认为他们对未来很有想法，而且有一个真正崇高的目标。”