This is another road side sign near the American Prairie Reserve, near Sun Prairie, Montana, USA. The point is a good one I think. We do need to feed people and taking land out of agricultural production reduces the amount of food produced. As such the message appears to recognize the problem of an ever growing human population and limited natural resources, including land (space), to produce a sufficient amount of food for all these people. It identifies urbanization as a major threat to the ability to produce enough food. I think this is correct as it is very costly and thus nearly impossible to remove houses after they have been built and return the land to agricultural production. The practice of having single family houses sit on large lots or "ranchettes"  is especially damaging as they take up a large amount of space and thus take out a large amount of land that may otherwise produce agricultural products. Since this sign is situated near the American Prairie Reserve and nowhere near an urban or suburban area, I am left with the impression though that the concern is not just with urbanization. Even though the sign does not mention switching out cattle for bison, the immediate effect can be similar to urbanization; the land may no longer produce agricultural products. There is a fundamental difference though between bison or buffalo grazing grasslands previously grazed by cattle and turning grasslands grazed by cattle into urban or suburban areas. Just like livestock, bison can be eaten by people, and this is something that could happen in this area too after the herd has reached a certain size. Secondly, even if more or different food is needed (different from bison) it is relatively easy, at least physically, to replace bison with cattle. So, even though the point made on the sign is a good one, the location of this message is somewhat puzzling. Nonetheless, it is a good thing that the illusion of endless natural resources, including space, is perhaps ending in the American West. The sooner we realize that space is a limited and relatively scarce commodity, the more likely it is that we will start using it more wisely.

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Road sign near American Prairie Reserve, agricultural production, near Sun Prairie, Montana, USA

Road sign "Don't buffalo me, no federal land grab", near American Prairie Reserve, Sun Prairie, Montana, USA. Interesting sign, but there appears to be no land grab or federal government associated with the creation of a private nature reserve on the prairie... Click here for other images of signs at or near the American Prairie Reserve.

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Don't buffalo me, no federal land grab, near Sun Prairie, Montana, USA

Americana: Mural, Obama for Blackfeet Country, Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Browning, Montana, USA.

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Mural, Obama for Blackfeet Country, Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Browning, Montana, USA

Road ecology blog: dead black bear (Ursus americanus) at composting facility. Click here for other images of the decomposing black bear.

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Dead black bear (Ursus americanus) at carcass composting facility

Roadkilled white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) buck in velvet, Montana, USA. Click here for other images of the dead white-tailed deer.

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Roadkilled white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) buck in velvet, Montana, USA

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) roadkill, Montana, USA. Click here for other images of the dead mule deer.

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Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) roadkill, Montana, USA

Road ecology blog: Rails to trails Route of the Hiawatha, Idaho, USA. For more information about the bike trail on the border of Idaho and Montana near Lookout Pass: http://www.ridethehiawatha.com/. Click here for other images of the Hiawatha bicycle trail.

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Route of the Hiawatha bicycle trail (abandoned railroad bed converted to trail system), near Lookout Pass, Idaho, USA

Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) roadkill, Montana, USA. Click here for other images of the dead great horned owl.

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Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) roadkill, Montana, USA

Bison (Bison bison) tail and grasses, Montana, USA.

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Abstract of bison (Bison bison) tail and grasses, Montana, USA

Mule deer fawn (Odocoileus hemionus) roadkill, Montana, USA. Click here for additional images of the dead mule deer fawn.

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Mule deer fawn roadkill, Montana, USA

Road through Kanawha State Forest, West Virginia, USA.

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Road through Kanawha State Forest, West Virginia, USA

Backyard wildlife in Missoula, Montana: Eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus nigris). Click here for another new image of the eastern fox squirrel.

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Eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), Missoula, Montana, USA

Backyard wildlife: Pine siskin (Carduelis pinus), Missoula, Montana, USA. Click here for additional new images of pine siskins.

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Pine siskin (Carduelis pinus), Missoula, Montana, USA