NFWF awards $18.5 million to conserve Great Plains grasslands
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced nearly $18.5 million in grants to protect vital grassland habitat across the Great Plains while strengthening ranching operations and communities. The 26 grants will leverage $50.3 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $68.8 million. Projects will restore and improve management on hundreds of thousands of acres across multiple states and Canadian provinces.
*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced nearly $18.5 million in grants to protect vital grassland habitat across the Great Plains while also strengthening ranching operations and communities. The 26 grants announced today will leverage $50.3 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $68.8 million. These funds will improve habitat for species such as grassland birds, pronghorn, greater sage-grouse and black-footed ferrets, while supporting the long-term sustainability of working ranchlands and tribal communities.
NFWF awarded $16.8 million through the Northern Great Plains Program, a public-private partnership involving the Bezos Earth Fund, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, ConocoPhillips, Walmart Foundation, Toyota Motors North America, Capri Holdings and Occidental. These grants will leverage $48.5 million in matching funds, generating a total conservation impact of $65.3 million. The program works voluntarily with private landowners and local partners to conserve and restore native prairie and wildlife populations.
Northern Great Plains Program Impact
The 21 grants awarded under the Northern Great Plains Program will support projects in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and the Canadian province Saskatchewan. These projects contribute to the goals of the Northern Great Plains Business Plan by achieving specific conservation metrics.
| Metric | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Acres restored | > 106,200 |
| Acres with improved management | > 533,000 |
| Fencing improved | 177 miles |
| Acres protected via easements and agreements | 236,300 |
NFWF awarded $1.6 million through the Southern Plains Grasslands Program, a partnership between NFWF and Sysco, Burger King and Cargill. These grants will generate $1.8 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $3.4 million. Projects under this program are located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Southern Plains Grasslands Program Impact
The five grants awarded under the Southern Plains Grasslands Program aim to improve grazing management and restore habitat. The program focuses on increasing regional capacity through technical assistance to producers.
| Metric | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Acres with improved grazing management | 156,000 |
| Acres of upland and grassland habitat restored | 7,360 |
| Fencing removed or improved | > 100 miles |
More than half of the Great Plains' historic footprint of native grasslands has been lost to land-use conversion, woody encroachment, the spread of invasive species and fragmentation. The projects supported by these grants seek to address these conservation challenges by restoring lost grasslands, improving grazing practices and increasing regional capacity to implement wildlife conservation practices.
How will the current economic climate affect the ability of private partners to sustain or increase their matching contributions in future grant cycles?
What specific mechanisms are in place to measure the long-term ecological success of the restored habitats beyond the immediate grant period?
Could this public-private partnership model be effectively replicated to address conservation challenges in other vulnerable ecosystems, such as wetlands or forests?
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