In November 2020, Audubon Dakota and partners initiated the North Dakota Conservation Forage Program (CFP) with a $6.9 million grant award from the North Dakota Industrial Commission Outdoor Heritage Fund. This grant is the largest investment in the fund’s history. The CFP will support private landowners in converting up to 25,000 acres of cropland back

Recent efforts spotlighting the crisis of grassland loss and grassland bird population declines have energized partnership-based conservation work across the Great Plains. Over the past year, several new international grassland conservation initiatives were launched including the JV8 Central Grasslands Initiative, the Central Grasslands Roadmap, and the Road to Recovery, an initiative to bring back 3

U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs in the Prairie Pothole Region are critical for the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV) to achieve our shared goals and objectives identified in the 2017 Implementation Plan and our state-level step down plans. A new agreement between the PPJV and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) paves the way

Lucinda joined the PPJV team as a Communications Specialist in August, a position which was made possible thanks to the partnership of Ducks Unlimited and NRCS. In large part, her mission here is two-fold: 1) bolster internal communications so we are more connected and more aware of the goings-on within the PPJV; and 2) expand

Josh began working as the Science Coordinator for the PPJV in January this year. While Josh may be new to the PPJV partnership, he has extensive experience working with Joint Ventures. Prior to joining the PPJV, Josh served as the Science Coordinator for the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) for 10 years. While there, much

The end of 2020 is in sight. In an unprecedented year of pandemic and social unrest, the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV) partnership continues to persevere, albeit from our home offices with ever-present Zoom meetings. Our partnership, as well as all Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, were born of challenges, and we have found many opportunities

The original Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (JVs), including the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture, were established to achieve the goals and objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Today there are 22 habitat-based JVs and three species-based JVs, each addressing the bird habitat conservation issues found within their geographic area or working to further the

The North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition (NDGLC) was established in 1996 to promote the health and sustainability of the 13.5 million acres of grazing lands in North Dakota through education about the values and multiple benefits of well-managed grazing resources and by voluntary actions. NDGLC supports and respects the rights of private property landowners. NDGLC

A workshop and panel discussion, convened on August 29, 2018 as part of the ND Grasslands Policy Tour and Workshop, began with a summary of highlights of the tour by facilitator and rancher Josh Dukart of Seek First Ranch. Josh discussed lessons learned, such as: Let nature do the heavy lifting. Although agriculture may be

The North Dakota Grasslands Policy Tour and Workshop on August 28 and 29, 2018 drew diverse participants from across the state and country such as ranchers, farmers, agency personnel, NGO staff and legislators, including North Dakota governor Doug Burgum. Two ranches in the Missouri Coteau of central North Dakota were part of the tour on

This past August, the PPJV co-hosted a Grasslands Policy Tour with the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition in Bismarck, North Dakota. The tour showcased agricultural operations that focus on soil health and successfully integrate grassland conservation, annual cropping and wildlife conservation into their business models. A wide range of stakeholders participated in the tour, including

The Wolsey Important Bird Area (IBA) in eastern South Dakota provides critical resting, refueling and staging habitat for over 150,000 Sandhill Cranes each spring including nearly 40% of all Greater Sandhill Cranes and over 23% of the global population of all six subspecies of Sandhill Cranes (Krapu et al. 2014). These majestic birds soar into