The migratory bird joint venture (JV) coordinators recently held their annual meeting near Chicago, Illinois. This meeting was focused on a narrow agenda that required honest discussion and visionary thought. Given that JVs pride themselves on functioning as “self-directed” partnerships and they come from different regions throughout North America, divergent views and opinions filled the … Read more
Perhaps best known for its globally significant populations of breeding waterfowl, the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) also provides crucial core habitat for imperiled grassland songbirds like Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur and McCown’s Longspur. Further, the Montana portion of the PPR contains expansive priority habitat for Greater Sage-Grouse. Continentally, each of these species has … Read more
The whooping crane is a federally endangered species that relies on land in North and South Dakota to help meet its energy needs during migration and reproduction which ultimately contribute to its potential for population growth. Working with researchers from the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, members of the HAPET (Habitat and Population Evaluation … Read more
For more than 50 years The Nature Conservancy has been working in the Prairie Pothole Region to protect the remaining grasslands and wetlands that are critically important to the nation’s migratory waterfowl, grassland birds, and resident wildlife. Further, these grasslands have and continue to serve as the economic cornerstone for the local ranching communities all … Read more
We continue to diligently proceed as a partnership on developing the sideboards and content for the update to our 2005 PPJV Implementation Plan. This effort includes holding PPJV state-specific meetings with partners to coordinate and gather state specific information. (For more information, on the goals of the updated plan, see our Fall 2014 newsletter article.) … Read more
The HAPET office and PPJV Technical Committee teamed up with the Montana conservation partners to expand the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) throughout the state. The BBS has been active in the PPJV area since the late 1960s, providing data for estimating breeding bird population trends. In recent years, analysis of BBS data has … Read more
Our time on earth is brief, yet the land goes on forever, carrying with it the marks of each succeeding landowner. As fleeting trespassers on land that belongs to future generations, we must touch the land gently, caring for it as true stewards, so that those who assess our record will see our love and … Read more
On May 12-13, 2015, the PPJV and the South Dakota Grassland Coalition (SDGC) hosted a field tour of “Grassland Conservation on Private Lands” near Aberdeen, SD. The purpose of the tour was to expose decision-makers to landowner perspectives on grassland conservation, land change, and to provide opportunities for developing new partnerships. Approximately 50 participants from … Read more
The fall and rise of trumpeter swans in North America is an amazing story – nearly wiped out by settlers crossing the country, turning virgin prairie and wetlands into farmsteads and farm fields. These settlers exported more than 100,000 trumpeters between 1880-1920 to use in products like quill pens, powder puffs, pillows, quilts and hats. … Read more
Conservation partners in North Dakota and Minnesota have come together to work on a large landscape-level project in the heart of the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. The Glaciated Wetland and Prairies project area is a very unique landscape containing some of the most numerous, productive and diverse wetland communities in … Read more
Welcome to spring! As we leave a winter filled with unusual weather and temperature swings, let’s hope for a spring filled with “normal” weather conditions. Weather patterns and conditions drive productivity on the prairies. We can have “wet” periods that create incredible plant and wildlife production, or “dry” periods that create stress across the landscape. … Read more
The development of the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan 2010 (MPCP) by state, federal, and private agencies and organizations has provided strategic direction for prairie upland and wetland habitat work. A completed plan is an accomplishment on its own, but without funding for implementation, often the actions in such plans are not completed. Fortunately, with the … Read more