Projects and News

South Dakota

The Harvey Dunn Grassland Preservation Project was officially started in early 2008, and obtained the first US Fish and Wildlife Service Waterfowl Habitat Protection Easement in July 2008.  There are now 10 easements with over 2200 acres.

These easements protect the native prairie grasses and adjacent wetlands while at the same time allow the land to remain as a working landscape, with specific uses such as haying or grazing permitted under certain circumstances. All of the easements are in Kingsbury County and some of the area includes the original Harvey Dunn farmstead.

Easement purchases under the $1 Million North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grant, which was awarded to Northern Prairies in September, 2007, are almost complete, but there are new grants for additional phases of the Project.  The total acreage which has been preserved substantially exceeds the amount originally anticipated in the grant application.

Missouri River Restoration Project Completed

The stretch of the Missouri River from Gavin’s Point dam in Yankton to near Elk Point  is not only one of the few places where one can observe the River as it might have looked to Lewis & Clark, but also is a vital remnant of natural landscape.  Regulated flows due to the upstream dams have altered many natural river functions, especially the quiet backwaters essential to fish and wildlife survival.  Northern Prairies, which holds a conservation easement on a critical riverside property known as Gunderson Park, recently cooperated in sponsoring a backwater restoration.  Dredges cut a large restored backwater which now provides a quiet place for small fish and other wildlife to rest and prosper.  Scientists are in the process of documenting the recovery of river life in the restored areas.  More detail and photos are at www.usd.edu/mri.

Big Sioux River Watershed Project and Big Sioux Rive Conservation Easement Program
In the last year, the number of easements under the Big Sioux River Conservation Easement Program (BSRCEP) doubled from five to ten, with six applications pending, and further interest by additional landowners.  While most of the easement areas are in Hamlin, Brookings and Codington Counties, there are also applicants from Minnehaha and Moody Counties. 

The BSRCEP, formed by a partnership with East Dakota Water Development District, is part of the Big Sioux River Watershed Project, which seeks to preserve and enhance water quality of the Big Sioux River and major tributaries.  Under the BSRCEP, landowners are provided with financial incentives to voluntarily agree to restrict certain land uses which may be harmful to the waterways, such allowing livestock access to the river and adjacent areas, and tilling practices which increase the likelihood of erosion.

While there have been some challenges over the last three years, the basic structure of the program has proved fundamentally strong and continues to be an excellent complement to similar federal programs.

East Dakota’s Big Sioux River Watershed Project offers additional programs such as upgrades of animal waste management systems, riparian area management, cost-sharing for fencing and alternate water supplies, and follow-up assessment to determine effectiveness of the programs.

For more information, please contact Northern Prairies at 605-339-3184, or East Dakota and 605-688-6741.

The Prairie Coteau Habitat Partnership (PCHP), of which NPLT has been an active member since 2003, is a consortium of state and federal agencies, conservation districts and non-profits, as well as South Dakota State University, Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe and numerous private landowners. The mission of the PCHP is to promote a greater appreciation of the value of native tallgrass prairie across the landscape by educating agencies and landowners about the role of fire and grazing which shaped the prairie ecosystems.  The partnership’s goal to work with agencies, landowners and the public to return a more natural fire and grazing regime to the region via promotion of economic incentives, conservation programs, fire department  partnerships, and to return fire to the landscape in a safe, efficient, ecological and socially-sensitive manner.

The PCHP has obtained grants that will finance and equip a burn crew that will give private landowners the opportunity to utilize prescribed burns to enhance native prairie production, both for grazing and wildlife. 

Prairies Without Borders

The Prairie Coteau region harbors over one million acres of native northern tallgrass, making it the largest remaining northern tallgrass prairie in the United States.  However, since 2002, over 240,000 acres of native prairie have been converted to tillage agriculture in eastern South Dakota.

Northern Prairies has teamed up The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department, Pheasants Forever, and the states of Minnesota and North Dakota to seek a $1 Million grant through the North America Wetlands Conservation Act for the Prairies Without Borders project.

The intention of Prairies Without Borders is to increase perpetual protection of wetland and grassland habitats by acquiring U.S. Fish and Wildlife service easements on private rangelands.  The project area encompasses 23 counties in eastern South Dakota, nine counties in North Dakota, and 50 counties in Minnesota.  However, the focus area is Roberts, Grant, and Deuel counties in South Dakota.

This project presents a unique perspective in that it is a cross-border partnership that seeks to solidify and recognize the commitment of the Federal, State, and private conservation agencies and organizations across three states who are working together on a landscape scale.  The project, if granted, will protect approximately 2407 acres of grassland and wetland communities.

The tallgrass prairie of eastern South Dakota is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.  Because most of the remaining native tallgrass is in private ownership, Northern Prairies developed a partnership with the SD Department of Game, Fish & Parks to encourage voluntary conservation and restoration work on private lands.  Jim Madsen, one of the most experienced natural resources specialists in the region, was hired by Northern Prairies Land Trust and since 2004 has been providing landowners with technical and financial assistance. Over 200 landowners have been contacted and over 6,574 acres of prairie have been evaluated for conservation programs and practices.  These practices lead to enhanced native habitat while simultaneously increasing the productivity of the farms or ranches involved. 

During this process, Jim has collaborated successfully with many local groups, such as East Dakota Water Development District, the Izaak Walton League, the Upper Big Sioux River Watershed Project and the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association.

The initial funding sources which support our innovative efforts are scheduled to end in 2010, but we are working to find the means to keep these efforts going. 

Nebraska

Nebraska Natural Legacy Project
Northern Prairies Land Trust partners with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to hold five wildlife biologist positions. These NPLT employees lead conservation efforts in the Verdigre-Brazile, Middle Niobrara, Sandstone Prairie, Southeast Prairie, Rulo Bluff, and Indian Cave Biologically Unique Landscapes (BULs), which are identified in the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project is a historic effort to conserve the state's fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, plants and their habitats. It was adopted in September 2005 by many of Nebraska’s conservation organizations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also formally approved Nebraska's plan, a requirement for the state to continue receiving about $800,000 annually in federal State Wildlife Grant funds.

The Nebraska Natural Legacy Plan identifies 40 Biologically Unique Landscapes (BULs) in Nebraska. For each BUL, the plan outlines the rare species and habitats present, threats to those species and habitats, and appropriate conservation actions. In all of the NPLT led BULs, the lack of prescribed burning and the associated increases of eastern red cedar trees represent a threat to native biological diversity. Since the initiation of this NPLT partnership, prescribed burning and mechanical removal of large cedar trees has increased exponentially, greatly increasing habitat quality. Other common habitat projects include high-diversity local-ecotype prairie restorations, invasive species control, and burn-driven grazing projects. In addition to habitat work, these NPLT employees also coordinate and implement conservation education and research projects and recruit additional conservation partners.

Southeast Flagship Initiative - Beatrice, NE
The Southeast Flagship Initiative includes the Sandstone Prairie, Southeast Prairie, Rulo Bluff, and Indian Cave Biologically Unique Landscapes (BULs) of the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. In January 2009, the Northern Prairie's office in Beatrice cosponsored the Fifth Annual Tallgrass Prairie Management Seminar, as a joint venture with the Nebraska Tallgrass Prairie Partnership.  There were presentations by local landowners and natural resource professionals, as well as Northern Prairies’ employees Jarren Kuipers and Kent Pfeiffer. In all, 90 people attended.  The keynote speakers presented on the development of soil carbon in prairies and the use of carbon credits to increase prairie value.  

The office also recently received a $96,000 Private Stewardship Grant from the USFWS, which is being used to mechanically remove eastern red cedar trees in Washington County, Kansas. Tree clearing projects have been going on for some time in Nebraska along the state line. This grant has allowed NPLT to team with USFWS, Pheasants Forever, and Kansas Game and Fish biologists to work across state lines. This project is resulting in in larger landscape level conservation effort which will benefit greater prairie chicken and rare Massasuaga rattlesnakes, while also improving the prairies for livestock production.

This spring the Nebraska Environmental Trust awarded a $217,000 grant to NPLT, with the support of several other conservation partners. These grant funds are currently being used to add a third NPLT biologist to the office, increase existing habitat work on private lands, continue the Annual Management Seminar, and fund the development of easements on native hay meadows. Nathan Walker was recently hired by NPLT to lead the implementation of this new proposal. The proposal was also preliminarily approved for three years of funding, which will eventually total $650,000.  

Verdigre-Bazile Flagship Initiative - Royal, NE
The NPLT flagship initiative coordinator position for Verdigre-Bazile remained vacant this spring, as NPLT biologist Justin Haahr moved on to other opportunities. We wish him the best of luck. During that time, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission biologist, Scott Wessel kept this conservation effort moving forward by working with the NRCS to complete conservation projects to remove invasive red cedar trees and complete prescribed burning. This biologically unique landscape has recently been the focus of many conservation events and influences. Wind power has begun moving into the area, with plans for much more development in the future. The impacts of wind turbines on species like greater prairie chicken and sharp-tail grouse is yet to be determined. Also, many conservation easements through the USDA Wetland Reserve Program are being initiated near the confluence of the Niobrara and Missouri rivers. The opportunity for permanent protection in the area provides much hope for protecting rare and endangered species habitats in and along the river.

Recently NPLT hired Rebekah Jessen as the new flagship initiative coordinator. Rebekah is finishing up her master’s degree in biology at the University of South Dakota and will start in June. Her master’s thesis focuses on the cottonwood forests of the Missouri River bottoms, which should be of benefit when working in the local biologically unique river systems in the area. Rebekah is originally from Bloomfield, NE.

Middle Niobrara Update
The Middle Niobrara BUL staff has been actively engaged in promoting the use of prescribed fire as a land management tool. Despite late snowstorms, seven landowners managed to get nearly 1,350 acres burned in five prescribed fires under private lands agreement this spring. Other landowners in the BUL burned an additional 1,150 acres on their own.

The fledgling Niobrara Valley Prescribed Fire Association is up and running. NPLT/NGPC staff held a series of informational meetings for landowners up and down the Niobrara River valley. A great deal of interest was generated and six landowners stepped up to form an executive committee and start the organizational process. The North Central RC&D has adopted the association as a project, and is assisting them with brochures and office support, as well as providing an umbrella non-profit status until they can secure their own 501(c)(3) status.

NVPFA is a landowner-driven group whose mission is to support the safe and effective use of prescribed fire by private landowners within the Niobrara River drainage. Through conducting classroom and field training in the use of prescribed fire, promoting an understanding of fire as a range management tool among the region’s citizens and leaders, and making specialized equipment more accessible to landowners, NVPFA is already having an impact in the region.

Funding for two mobile fire cache trailers – each equipped for a 10-person burn crew – has been obtained through the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Legacy grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. The caches will be managed by NVPFA and loaned out to private landowners who meet their training requirements.

Other project work continues on over 4,000 acres of private lands within the BUL. Project activities include mechanical cedar removal, thinning to restore ponderosa pine stands to historic open, park-like conditions, prescribed burning, prescribed grazing and associated water development practices. Staff coordinates project work with other agencies, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Nebraska Forest Service to treat adjacent areas, thus working toward conservation on a landscape scale.

Outreach and education activities are conducted on an ongoing basis in the Middle Niobrara BUL. In addition to the prescribed fire outreach, pasture walks are offered on some project areas. Staff cooperates with other agencies’ outreach efforts as well, to reach a larger audience. Activities such as a booth at the Nebraska Ranch Expo help keep the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project in the public eye.