Advocates representing Tribal nations met with members of Congress to discuss a range of priorities including wildlife habitat connectivity, grassland conservation, and native seed sovereignty.
Kim Sager-Fradkin, Wildlife Program Manager for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe in Washington State, spoke with congressional offices about wildlife connectivity legislation.
“We are seeing first-hand the consequences of habitat fragmentation due to housing development and highways,” stated Sager-Fradkin.
She noted that habitat fragmentation affects the long-term genetic health of wildlife populations, explaining, “Recent research shows that cougars on the Olympic Peninsula have lower genetic diversity than cougars elsewhere in Washington State, which could portend trouble for the future.”
Sager-Fradkin also emphasized the importance of passing the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA), which would provide critical funding for Indigenous-led conservation efforts. “Please encourage your Congressional representatives to support wildlife movement bills as well as RAWA for the good of the next seven generations,” she stated.
Merissa Dominguez, Program Director for the Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance, highlighted how Tribal leadership is shaping the future of grassland conservation through support for the North American Grasslands Conservation Act. This bill would provide designated funding to Tribal nations for grassland conservation and include Tribal representation on the program’s governing council.
With more than 70 percent of America’s tallgrass, mixed grass, and shortgrass prairies already lost, grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems in North America. These landscapes serve as critical habitat for wildlife and places of immense cultural significance for Indigenous communities.
“This legislation recognizes the deep connection Tribes have to these landscapes and the importance of supporting Indigenous leadership in conservation,” Dominguez stated, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to advocate for this work and help raise awareness about the importance of protecting our grasslands for future generations.”
Katie Smith-Easter, Indigenous Land Stewardship Coordinator for the Southeastern Grasslands Institute and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma echoed Dominguez’s emphasis on the connections between Indigenous communities, native seeds, and grasslands.
“For Native people, our cultural identity is not separate from the land that holds us,” she stated. “The continuity of our cultural lifeways does not exist without our native seeds and grasslands.”
Smith-Easter advocated for policies including the Native American Seeds Act, the American Seed and Restoration Center Establishment Act, and the North American Grasslands Conservation Act, emphasizing the importance of strengthening native seed systems and Indigenous stewardship efforts across Turtle Island.
“Our country faces a critical native seed shortage, and our grasslands are disappearing at an alarming rate,” Smith-Easter stated. “Twenty five years will be too late. We need to act now.”
Throughout the fly-in, advocates shared how Indigenous knowledge, Tribal sovereignty, and investment in Tribal-led conservation are essential to addressing threats facing wildlife, ecosystems, and communities.
As policymakers consider conservation legislation in the months ahead, the voices shared during the Tribal Advocacy Fly-In served as a reminder that protecting wildlife and ecosystems also means supporting the communities that have cared for them since time immemorial.
Our nation’s grasslands are vital for addressing climate change, promoting sustainable agriculture, and the survival of countless wildlife. Congress can help save our rapidly disappearing prairies, savannas, glades, and sagebrush lands by passing The North American Grasslands Conservation Act to conserve and restore North America’s native grasslands and sagebrush shrub-steppe while supporting ranchers, farmers, Tribal Nations, sportsmen and women, and rural communities.
Every year, an estimated 2 million acres of United States’ grassland and sagebrush shrublands are lost or degraded—on average, an area about triple the size of Yosemite National Park. A recent map developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology starkly shows how rapidly grasslands have succumbed to a combination of urban development, conversion to cropland, and degradation by invasive species. This destruction of grasslands has had dire consequences for wildlife and climate change, not to mention those who depend on healthy grasslands for their livelihoods (like cowboys!).
Grasslands of the United States
The United States contains a multitude of unique grassland ecosystems across the country, supporting countless animal and plant species. In the West, the Great Plains, Great Basin shrublands, and coastal grasslands are home to elk, the greater prairie-chicken, and prairie dogs, among countless other wildlife species. In the Southeast, prairies, savannas, and coastal dunes serve as homes to the southern plains bumble bee, gopher tortoise, and northern bobwhite quail. Northeastern grasslands and shrublands, such as Maine’s blueberry barrens and coastal plains in Rhode Island, are home to a similarly diverse set of wildlife including the northern pintail duck and bobolink.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a staggering 62% of our temperate grasslands have already been lost, and in some areas more than 80% have been lost! Meanwhile, sagebrush steppe shrublands also suffer from the effects of invasive species and human modification.
Wildlife Under Pressure
As grassland habitats succumb to modern pressures, grassland birds have suffered the most, experiencing the steepest losses of all North American birds over the last 50 years. Greater sage-grouse populations alone have declined 80% across the American West since 1965 and the northern bobwhite has experienced a similar decline of over 80% since 1966. The conversion of prairies and other types of grasslands to crop production, as opposed to traditional ranching, has particularly negative effects on wildlife. What was once productive grazing land that mimicked historical grazing patterns and provided habitat to wildlife is now tilled land. Well-managed grazing both increases soil carbon storage and increases wildlife populations, while providing a way of life that has sustained generations of Americans.
The iconic monarch butterfly has been hit particularly hard by the ongoing grassland loss. Western monarchs have lost 95% of their population since the 1980s. Eastern monarchs haven’t fared much better, losing 80% of their population since 1990, and the western bumble bee population declined 57% from 1998-2020. Pollinators like the monarch and native bees are vital to farming and ranching operations and they rely on large, connected habitats to provide pollen, nectar, and habitat to survive the winter and breed. It is estimated that pollinators provide over $15 billion in value to US crops!
Grasslands help fight climate change, too
Forests are well known for their ability to fight climate change because they store carbon. However, the benefits of grasslands to climate adaptation and mitigation deserve far more recognition. In some areas of the United States, grasslands may offer more secure carbon storage than forests in a changing climate. These “upside-down forests” hold the bulk of their carbon underground in soils, where it is less vulnerable to climate-driven drought, heat waves, and fires than carbon in forests. Additionally, grassland conversion continues to outpace deforestation in the U.S. As a result, converting just one acre of native grassland to cropland releases the equivalent emissions of 15,300 gallons of gas from a typical US vehicle! Avoiding grassland conversion has the potential to be a more cost-effective nature-based climate mitigation strategy than nearly any other option at our fingertips. Simply, the best thing we can do for grasslands is to leave them intact, manage them well, and prevent the spread of invasive plants!
Not only do grasslands store carbon, they are also important for resilience to climate change-driven extreme weather like droughts and floods. Healthy soils, like those found in well-managed grasslands, both filter and retain water much better than degraded soils or hard infrastructure ever could. Erosion and topsoil loss in the United States is shockingly estimated to be higher than during the Dust Bowl. Grassland plants hold soil in place and filter out harmful substances, protecting city water supplies and ecosystems downstream. Amazingly, just one acre of tallgrass prairie can intercept 53 tons of water from running off during a 1-inch rainfall!
This is a Real Bummer. Isn’t Anyone Doing Anything About It?
Yes! Federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Fish and Wildlife Service work with state and local governments, farmers, ranchers, and private landowners to conserve, restore, and protect grasslands through various programs. One popular initiative is the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) which compensates producers for conserving environmentally sensitive lands, either by grazing sustainably or removing it from crop production using 10- to 15-year contracts. Grasslands CRP currently has enrolled 8.6 million acres and the most recent sign up included 1.8 million acres from underserved producers who have traditionally struggled to access USDA programs!
Unfortunately, Grassland CRP and other efforts are not nearly enough to stem the tide of grassland destruction. Every ten years, or the typical length of a CRP contract, 20 million acres will be converted, on average. The 8.6 million acres enrolled in Grassland CRP help, but aren’t enough to stop the destruction of these vital ecosystems.
What can I do to Help Save Grasslands?
The good news is NWF, in partnership with various hunting, fishing, scientific, and environmental organizations, has developed the North American Grasslands Conservation Act, modeled after the successful North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The Grasslands Act would create a landowner-driven, voluntary, incentive-based program to conserve, restore, and improve management of grasslands across the country through a partnership-based approach that will help sustain them as working lands for wildlife and people. This national grant program would provide the multi-faceted support that grasslands need to continue to fight climate change, support rancher livelihoods, and serve as habitat for species in decline. Your elected officials need to hear that you support that kind of effort!
Learn more
The Bell Bowl Prairie is one of those unique habitats. The prairie is home to the endangered rusty patched bumble bee as well as rare native plant communities. The rusty patched bumble bee was the first bumble bee to be listed as endangered after its population dropped by 90%. Rusty patched bumble bees used to be found in 28 states, but since 2000 have only been spotted in 13 states. Bell Bowl Prairie is important because it provides ideal habitat for overwintering queen bees. The prairie sustains bees and other pollinators with its abundant native flora.
It’s not just the rusty patched bumble bee that relies on this crucial prairie habitat. Here, you can find native plants that are endangered in the state of Illinois like the prairie dandelion and large-flowered beardtongue. And birds, like the black-billed cuckoo, also call this habitat home.
Bell Bowl Prairie is a gravel hill prairie representing 5 acres of high-quality dry gravel prairie habitat in Illinois. This remnant habitat has not been significantly disturbed by threats. Conserving remnant habitats like Bell Bowl Prairie is important because studying these intact ecosystems can help us better restore other ecosystems to serve wildlife — and remnant habitat is irreplaceable.
Sadly, Bell Bowl Prairie is slated for almost complete destruction on November 1st, 2021 as part of the expansion of the Chicago Rockford International Airport. This expansion would eradicate crucial habitat for the endangered rusty patched bumblebee.
And learn here how you can help disappearing bumble bees at home.
Here are our top 10 wildlife species that rely on grasslands:
1. Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
The Long-billed Curlew has a big mouth! Dressed in a pale cinnamon wash, this plump North American bird is known for its football-shaped body, and a long, thin curved bill. Long-billed Curlews use these bills to peck at insects on drier grassland habitats. They can also forage for worms and shrimp in wetlands or mudflats outside of their breeding season.
Though they are known as shorebirds, they must breed in areas with sparse, short grasses and mixed-grass prairies. Original and proud in every way, they strut around their open terrain, bobbing their head with bouncy steps.
2. African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
African elephants know how to stand out. They are the largest land mammals on the face of the Earth. Though the males can weigh up to 6 tonnes, elephant families have a matriarchal head. Additionally, African elephants can be incredibly sociable and helpful giants. In fact, they are known as a keystone species, specifically, ecosystem engineers.
The elephants use their tusks to dig up dry riverbeds and create waterholes, break small trees and bushes to maintain grasslands, and spread plant seeds while keeping the soil healthy. They can be found roaming the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa for roots, grasses, fruit, and bark to feed on.
3. Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Ferrets are cute, but they mean business. Seriously, a group of ferrets is known as a “business.” They are an alert and agile, medium-sized member of the weasel family, also known for their eponymous black feet. They inhabit temperate grasslands in North America where they can hunt their major food source: prairie dogs. Sure enough, they blend in well with grassland soils and plants.
More active at dawn and at dusk, they can sleep up to 21 hours per day. They wake up at night to hunt, eat, and tend to their offspring, which are called kits. These black-footed ferrets usually produce furry kits in litters of 3-5. Though kits are born blind and dependent on the protection of their underground homes, at about 90 days of age, kits are trained to go on hunting ventures.
4. Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
If you’re a foodie who loves to travel, then you have much in common with plains zebras! They are hungry herbivores who travel regularly! In fact, they will migrate up to 2,900 kilometers for food, mostly red oat grass. Plains zebras graze two-thirds of the day on a variety of grasses. Native to over 15 African countries, they can be found traversing savannas in small families known as harems. These are usually made up of a male or stallion, several females, and their offspring.
There is also no question that they are sociable and protective of another. Though plains zebras may travel in large herds, they are known to keep close with their biological family members. As the foal and female zebras run, the males follow behind them, ready to defend their family from any predators.
5. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)
The graceful and observant pronghorn antelope is the fastest hoofed animal in North America, capable of reaching speeds up to 60 miles an hour. Not only do grasslands provide them with free, open land for running, but they offer these herbivores key ingredients for their diet: sage, forbs, and other prairie plants. Female pronghorns also rely on the vegetation of grasslands to hide their offspring so that they can forage while their young are safe.
Often, pronghorn mothers keep within 2 miles of them. However, do not underestimate these youthful pronghorns. In a matter of days after their birth, the small pronghorns can travel, forage, and outrun a human being. Thankfully, grasslands provide a sweet space for the fawns to play!
6. Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii)
Przewalski’s horses are the last surviving wild horse species left in the world. They can be found in the steppes of Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan. The steppes of Mongolia are a great site for their diet which largely relies on grass and other shrubby vegetation. In fact, these steppes may be the largest area of unaltered grasslands in the world.
They are a safe haven for these small and stocky horses. Muscular and pony-like, Przewalski’s horses also bear a zebra-like mane and swish a dark plumed tail. These rare dune-colored horses are also called “takhi” which translates to “spirit” in Mongolia.
7. Swift Fox (Vulpes velox)
Swift foxes thrive in the short and mixed-grass prairies of the Great Plains. Though most are small creatures and weigh only 4 to 6 pounds, they are speedy and agile. Sure enough, they can reach speeds of 25 miles an hour. They rely heavily on the open prairies and the shorter grasses to scan for predators and hunt.
Swift foxes create their own dens near short and mid-grass prairies and make use of them year-long, straying from the tendencies of coyotes and other foxes. Though sometimes these animals might take over other spaces such as dens that have been abandoned by badgers or burrows that have been abandoned by prairie dogs.
8. Greater one-horned rhino or “Indian Rhino” (Rhinoceros unicornis)
Equipped with a single black horn and a leathery hide, the greater one-horn rhino is the largest of three Asian rhinos. Dawning a body-armor-like appearance and weighing up to 6,600 pounds, these rhinos are literally built for the wild. These grazers inhabit the tall grasslands of Northern India and Nepal.
Its horn comes in handy not only for self-defense, but for plowing fertile plains for leaves, fruits, and grasses. Still, even these large animals get tired. After foraging during the cool mornings, they seek water to submerge themselves in the heat of the afternoon.
9. American Bison (Bison bison)
American bison are powerful, and majestic animals found in the plains, prairies, and river valleys of North America, though most are found only in national and state parks, reserves, and refuges today. Foraging for nine to eleven hours a day, they consume grass, flowering plants, lichen, and woody plant leaves.
In order to eat well during the winter, they sweep away the snow with their heads and hooves. However, in the spring, they also take to their open spaces to shed their stuffy winter coats. These bold creatures are iconic for their long, dark hair. In fact, adult bulls are known to rock a foot-long black beard!
10. Common Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
If this quirky bird looks familiar, that’s because it’s a member of the ratite family, which includes ostriches. Native to Australia, they can also be spotted running around the grasslands of New Guinea, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and the Philippines. Their preference for grasslands, savannas, and forests comes from their need for water sources, since they drink nearly two and a half gallons of water per day. There, these omnivores also forage for fruits, seeds, and small vertebrates.
Flightless but feisty, emus use their long mighty legs to kick predators away. Though they are not aggressive, unless provoked. If an emu suspects predators or threats to their nests nearby, they might make warning calls. They are easily recognizable for the sound they make: E-moo!
Aren’t you amazed by the wide range of wildlife species that rely on grasslands? Unfortunately, our grasslands are shrinking. But you can help by raising awareness about the North American Grasslands Conservation Act. For more information on how you can support some of the internationally acclaimed wildlife species, look into the ongoing campaign for an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, which NWF has signed on to!
Both populations of monarchs are in real trouble, with numbers plummeting in the last few decades by as much as 90 percent for the eastern population and by over 99 percent for the western population.
Each of us can help turn the tide for these magnificent butterflies. Here are six ways to support fall-migrating monarchs:
Plant Fall Nectar Sources
Adult monarch butterflies feed on flower nectar. You can help monarchs refuel on their long migratory journey by planting native wildflowers that bloom in the late summer into the fall. Asters and goldenrods are great choices, and there are native species of each in almost all parts of the country. The bonus is that these wildflowers will provide beauty to your yard or gardens in addition to helping out the monarchs.
These regional guides to nectar plants for monarchs and other pollinators are a great place to start. Get fall blooming nectar plants shipped directly to you. NOW AVAILABLE for 36 states with free shipping.
Don’t Spray Pesticides
Monarchs are insects, so it’s no surprise that insecticides will kill them. Avoid spraying any insecticides in your yard, but especially on fall-blooming plants that monarchs are likely to visit along their migration routes. Don’t fall for marketing claims of mosquito spray companies that say their sprays will kill mosquitoes but not beneficial pollinators such as monarchs. That’s simply not true. Instead, follow organic gardening techniques that don’t rely on pesticides and these natural ways to reduce mosquito bites that won’t harm monarchs.
Avoid Pre-Treated Plants
Not all pesticides are sprays. Neonicotinoids are a class of systemic insecticides which means that when treated, a plant absorbs the insecticide into all of its tissues–including the nectar–making it toxic to any insect that feeds on it. Research has shown that neonicotinoids can harm monarch butterflies. Before purchasing plants, ask at your local nursery or garden center if they’ve been treated with neonicotinoids. Many plant growers and garden centers now label plants that have been treated. If they can’t answer or if the plants are treated, use your power as a consumer and let them know that you will shop elsewhere.
Plant Trees
Migrating monarchs often gather in trees at night or during periods of high winds and bad weather. Planting native trees in your yard and supporting community tree-planting efforts where you live can provide this important habitat for the butterflies. Lots of other wildlife will benefit from the habitat trees provide too.
Support Monarch-Friendly Agriculture
For the eastern monarch population in particular, which migrates along a central flyway from Minnesota down through Texas on their way to Mexico, agricultural practices can have a big negative impact. This route happens to follow along America’s “corn belt” where over 90 percent of the native grassland habitat that monarchs rely on during migration is gone, much of it converted into industrial farms that offer little or no habitat. Heavy reliance on herbicides such as glyphosate and insecticides such as neonicotinoids and dicamba, an agricultural pesticide that has been shown to drift into natural areas when used, takes a further toll.
Join the National Wildlife Federation to support our work to protect America’s grasslands and to promote wildlife-friendly agricultural practices.
Take the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge
Engage your community’s leadership on monarch conservation by promoting the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. Mayors and other municipal leaders can spearhead local monarch conservation efforts by following the recommendations of the pledge, which requires leaders to commit to taking actions that will help monarchs. Actions range from changing weed ordinances so that they accommodate monarch-friendly plants to reduction or elimination of pesticides on city property to issuing an official monarch conservation proclamation and launching education campaigns on planting for monarchs in the community.
Sadly, monarch populations plummeted by 90 percent in the two decades, victims of the loss of millions of acres of grasslands and the native milkweeds they need to survive. Without our love, they could easily go extinct.
Today you can take action to help save monarchs and other species at risk. Tell your representative in Congress to be the monarch butterfly’s Valentine by supporting the life-giving Recovering America’s Wildlife Act before it’s too late.
At this moment, monarch butterflies are resting in the high elevation forests of Michoacán, Mexico. Thousands upon thousands cloak a handful of fir trees in one of the world’s most stunning wildlife gatherings. Visitors quietly watch and revel at the shimmering, orange-gold clusters. On warm afternoons, the monarchs take flight and the air fills with the sounds of their wings, like rippling water.
Monarch butterflies fly south to escape long cold winters. To reach the favored trees in Mexico, these tiny creatures that weigh less than a cracker flap up to 250 miles a day—and some as far as 3,000 miles total. No wonder they need a long rest!
By Valentine’s Day, love is in the air at the winter roost. In these next weeks, the male and females will find each other and mate. By mid-March, they swirl into the air and depart.
Help Give Monarchs an Extra Lift
Can you help give them an extra lift for their journey north? Imagine if all of us could blow our collective breaths to help them fly easily our way! What monarchs really need is habitat and especially native milkweeds, where females lay their eggs, and caterpillars grow on their essential host plants.
It will take four generations of monarch butterflies to reach their most northern range in Eastern Canada by summer’s end. Miraculously, the last generation is born with superpower strength to fly all the way back to Mexico in one long migration—as long as they have native wildflower nectar along the way.
The monarch story reminds us of the irreplaceable wonders of nature. An act of love for monarchs is love for future generations to know and cherish this miraculous butterfly.
There is hope for the monarch butterflies and a third of all wildlife species in trouble. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would direct more than $1 billion to state-led conservation efforts that focus on early action to save wildlife at risk — rather than waiting until species like monarchs are on the brink of extinction.
The state-led approaches supported by the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act are proven. They are some of the best ways to save, restore, and create new habitat for monarchs and other species.
On February 14, a “Be Mine” Valentine’s card attached to a monarch butterfly plushie will be delivered to every single member of Congress. And we need your name on it.
Thank you for showing love to monarch butterflies and other species in jeopardy this Valentine’s Day!
Welcome to the Northern Great Plains
This landscape, known as the Northern Great Plains stretches from Montana north to Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada. The NGP is the northern most extent of the vast Great Plains ecosystem that stretches across the United States from Northern Mexico into Southern Canada, and it is a key focus area for the National Wildlife Federation’s expanded campaign to protect and connect the habitat needed by wide-ranging wildlife such as pronghorn, mule deer and sage-grouse.
Typically, wildlife populations are managed within the jurisdiction in which they reside. However, wildlife managers and conservationists are increasingly looking beyond man-made boundaries to properly consider species requirements. In the sagebrush and grasslands between Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan, enhanced data and wide-ranging collaborations now provide opportunities to take a holistic approach in managing wildlife.
With the advent of global-positioning system (GPS) technology, researchers and managers today have detailed information on where, when, how and why wildlife live on the landscape. Individual animals can be captured and fitted with GPS collars or harnesses so that researchers can identify important habitats, movement pathways and potential impediments to species.
We have confirmed that species movements in the Northern Great Plains are not based on man-made political boundaries. Instead their movements are determined by fawning and nesting requirements, foraging opportunities and winter needs to increase chances of survival. These movements, such as migration or dispersal, can be wide-ranging. For example, one pronghorn individual migrated 888 km in one year!
NWF is working in this region to address habitat loss and fragmentation from development. We know that wildlife need large swaths of habitat to reproduce and survive, and they must have the opportunities to move–sometimes over great distances–between required habitats to satisfy biological needs. Understanding and mapping these movements, geographically and seasonally, is essential in maintaining the landscape connectivity: the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movements. Increasing awareness and identifying corridors across the landscape is a challenge and an opportunity to involve everyone who cares about the future of wildlife over a large landscape such as this.
The Northern Great Plains is at the center of innovative new research and conservation collaboration. Over the past decade, wildlife and land managers, private landowners, conservation organizations, researchers, industries and community members have engaged in new efforts to manage wildlife across boundaries. These opportunities share a collaborative, holistic approach to wildlife and habitat management, while ensuring key economic interests are considered.
The National Wildlife Federation’s Northern Rockies, Prairies, and Pacific region continued work aims to build upon these initiatives, with a long-term vision of restoring large migratory populations of native wildlife and thriving local communities. Our collaborative work depends on protecting habitats and removing migration barriers, as well as building networks of community awareness and support. In the coming year, we will be assessing wildlife migration barriers, removing or modifying fences that get in the way of wildlife movements, restoring critical wet areas on the dry prairie, and engaging local high school students in citizen science wildlife monitoring efforts.
The landscape of Montana east of the Continental Divide is vast, and the human footprint relatively small. The opportunities for wildlife conservation at the largest possible scale are tremendous. Realizing these opportunities will take time, effort and meaningful engagement with all who care about this extraordinary place.
Find out more about our region and our work!
As agricultural expansion and urban development continue to lead to the conversion of grasslands throughout the Great Plains and Midwest, it is increasingly important to raise public awareness of this underrepresented, yet critical, biome that is decreasing at an alarming rate.
America’s Grasslands Conference: United for Conservation
On November 14th-16th, 2017, National Wildlife Federation held our fourth biennial America’s Grasslands Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. The conference was co-hosted by Coastal Prairie Partnership, Native Prairies Association of Texas, and Texas Agrilife Extension. This year’s theme, “United for Conservation,” focused on working together with diverse stakeholders to form collaborative partnerships to conserve grasslands, and brought together 220 people from across North America.
The packed agenda had over 60 speakers, 20 poster presentations, five breakout sessions with round table discussions, and plenty of networking and social events. Additionally, the conference kicked off with field trips to numerous grassland conservation areas in the surrounding Fort Worth region. Each uniquely curated field trip explored local grasslands and conservation practices with experts.
Visiting Local Grasslands
Field trip attendees chose to either learn more about local education and volunteer opportunities from the Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area, visit 400 acres of the most diverse remnants of Blackland Prairie in Fort Worth at Clymer Meadow, observe how native prairie can be restored using the Adaptive Multi-paddock Grazing by cattle and sheep at the Leo and Pittman units of the Leo Ranch, or experience a 2,000 acre fourth generation ranch in the transition zone between Blackland Prairie and Cross Timbers Ecological Regions of Texas at Smith Ranch.
The field trips on the first day of the conference were a great opportunity to ease into the robust spread of conservation issues and solutions that would be discussed over the following days.
Topics & New Research at the Conference
The conference was packed with interesting subjects such as:
- Success stories of partnership efforts to conserve grasslands,
- Maintaining healthy grasslands for grazing,
- Grasslands in federal policy,
- Landscape level planning,
- Grassland-dependent wildlife,
- Pollinator conservation, and
- Many more exciting topics.
The conference also gave researchers and organizations the opportunity to release new data.
During the conference, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison released new data regarding carbon emissions stemming from conversion of grassland and other habitats into crop production, in relation to the federal ethanol mandate. Researchers found that cropland expansion from 2008-2012 likely resulted in carbon pollution equivalent to six coal-burning power plants, or the annual emissions of 20 million new cars on the road.
Organizations attending, such as World Wildlife Fund (WWF), presented grassland conversion data through a poster and talk from the recently released 2017 Plowprint Annual Report. The report focused on the impacts of grassland conversion on water resources and the actions we can take to slow grassland loss.
Building Momentum
The conference was a great opportunity for stakeholders of varying backgrounds to discuss grassland conservation. Attendees left with high energy to take action in the field, and on Capitol Hill.
Now you can join the momentum too! Send a letter to Congress members to support the bipartisan, bicameral, American Prairie Conservation Act in the 2018 Farm Bill.
The American Prairie Conservation Act will help to protect remaining native prairies by reducing the incentives for landowners to convert prairie to cropland through a nationwide “sodsaver” provision. It is critical that sodsaver is included in the 2018 Farm Bill to protect further destruction of grasslands.
For more information about the conference, the proceedings, and more, visit the website here or contact Lekha Knuffman. Additionally, be sure to check out our Twitter account for photos and updates from the conference.
Take ActionTake the pledge here to vote for candidates this Election Day who stand with wildlife!
Confronting Climate Change
A warming world stresses wildlife and their habitat. We’ve recently witnessed severe forest fires, floods, droughts, habitat shifts, heat waves, sea level rise and ocean acidification. Our elected officials must come together and support a positive, proactive climate agenda that protects your family and wildlife. This includes:
- Reducing carbon pollution that contributes to climate change by supporting new EPA rules to limit carbon pollution from power plants, and assigning a price to carbon emissions, the most efficient and effective market-based policy to curb pollution.
- Limiting methane pollution from oil and gas operations.
- Promoting expansion of responsibly sited renewable energy—including offshore wind and rooftop solar.
- Reforming federal fossil-fuel leasing to account for greenhouse gases and the wildlife-related impacts of extraction.
Funding Wildlife Recovery
State wildlife agencies have identified some 12,000 species that are in need of conservation efforts. Unfortunately, most funds available to states for wildlife recovery (fees related to hunting and fishing) fall short of protecting these species. Newly proposed bipartisan legislation — the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act — would dedicate $1.3 billion from federal oil and gas revenues to state wildlife agencies to address this funding gap. If passed by Congress, the new funds could help prevent thousands of species from being listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act — a huge payoff.
Safeguarding Public Lands
Americans share ownership of approximately 600 million acres of land and water, but your public lands are under constant attack by private interests. In just the last three years, members of Congress filed at least 44 bills or amendments to undercut protections for our parks and public lands. Our leaders will need to fight these privatization schemes and improve public land management by:
- Making sure the U.S. Forest Service is fully funded for habitat restoration. Right now the agency must spend more than a third of its annual budget fighting wildfires, leaving little for this critical work.
- Designating new conservation areas to protect lands vulnerable to development.
- Balancing oil and gas leasing, mining and other extractive industries against the need to safeguard wildlife and local economies. This will involve finalizing reforms of the federal coal-leasing program to fully account for the costs to wildlife, as well as considering whether to phase out federal subsidies for oil drilling, mining and other extractive activities on public lands.
Ensuring Clean Water
Fish, wildlife and our families have a critical need for clean, abundant water. Yet, wetlands throughout our nation are vanishing: lead recently contaminated the water supply in Flint, Michigan, algal blooms forced Toledo, Ohio, to temporarily shut down its water supply, and algal slime now plagues parts of coastal Florida. It’s clear that investing in our nation’s water resources is vital. Yet a new Clean Water Rule that would protect 20 million acres of wetlands and 2 million stream miles is in legal limbo at the Supreme Court, and awaits implementation by the next President.
Conserving Native Grasslands
Scientists warn that grassland birds and other species in the northern Great Plains are reaching a tipping point as thousands of acres of native prairie — one of the fastest declining ecosystems in North America — continue to be converted to cropland. This is due in part to the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires growing corn for ethanol. The next Administration will need to decide how much corn should be mandated. Congress also will need to reauthorize the Farm Bill, an opportunity to eliminate incentives that encourage plowing up native grasslands and strengthen incentives farmers have for saving grasslands on their property.
Take the pledge here to vote for candidates this Election Day who stand with wildlife!