New project will help Northern Plains producers restore grassland

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is adding several new target species and habitats, including the Northern Plains Grassland, to its premier wildlife conservation effort that helps agricultural producers make wildlife-friendly improvements on working lands. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is adding five new projects to Working Lands for Wildlife, the agency’s targeted, science-based effort to help producers restore and protect habitat for declining species on farms, ranches and working forests.

“Agriculture and wildlife both thrive together through landscape conservation,” said Jeff Zimprich, NRCS state conservationist for South Dakota. “We’re excited about this opportunity for ag producers to help grassland habitat as well as improve their own operations.”

One of the five new projects focuses on restoring and protecting grassland habitats in South Dakota and North Dakota. Landowners in the Northern Plains will help restore the grassland landscape by improving rangeland conditions through implementing sustainable grazing practices, prescribed burning, habitat restoration for wildlife and addressing water quality and quantity needs for livestock.

When the health of the Northern Plains Grassland landscape is improved, many species benefit, including the Chestnut-collared Longspur, Baird’s Sparrow and Sprague’s Pipit. Additional species that will benefit are the burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, bobolink, greater prairie-chicken and pollinators. NRCS uses these and other wildlife as indicators of the health of the ecosystem at-large.

With more than two-thirds of the continental United States under private ownership, wildlife depend heavily on working lands for habitat and food. Projects focus on declining species that have needs compatible with agricultural practices and rural land management and that can benefit from conservation on private lands.

NRCS staff worked with conservation partners to identify new species and landscapes. Considerations included the compatibility of the species and agriculture, the network of available partners and the needs of the species.

Working Lands for Wildlife conservation model

So far, WLFW has helped producers restore 8.4 million acres of habitat for eight target species, such as the Monarch butterfly and Golden winged warbler.

“The future of wildlife, agriculture and rural ways of life depend on our collective ability to transfer our Working Lands for Wildlife model to more species and working landscapes,” Zimprich said.

Through WLFW, NRCS strategically invests where conservation returns are highest and measures how wildlife respond to management activities to refine conservation efforts.

Own or manage land? You can help.

NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help producers adopt a variety of conservation practices on their land. NRCS staff help producers with a conservation plan and provide funding to cover part of the costs for adopting the practices. These practices are designed to benefit both the species and the agricultural operation.

To learn more about assistance opportunities, landowners should contact their local USDA Service Center.