Wildlife Conservation Through Sustainable Ranching
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Meet the Guardians of the Grasslands
THESE SIX LANDOWNERS (AND OTHERS LIKE THEM) ARE LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST WOODY SPECIES ENCROACHMENT IN THE GREAT PLAINS
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Meet the Guardians of the Grasslands! These six inspirational landowners are working with the USDA-NRCS through the Great Plains Grassland Initiative to remove invading trees from their ranches, boosting productivity and water quantity and reducing the risk of severe wildfire.
From South Dakota to Oklahoma, these landowners are doing what it takes to keep their grasslands healthy and productive. Some are partnering with neighbors and the USDA-NRCS to conduct prescribed burns, some are experimenting with virtual fencing, while others never venture into their pastures without a lopper at the ready.
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Conservation and Innovation: Reseeding a Ranching Legacy
THIS FARMERS.GOV STORY HIGHLIGHTS THE BRADY FAMILY
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Through generations of hard work, innovation, and partnership, the Brady Family has transitioned to a more sustainable operation, passing down their passion for conservation and ensuring success for future generation. Their partnership with the USDA-NRCS has benefited their operation, bottom line, and made the grasslands they steward more productive and resilient.
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| Adding Value To Sheep and Cattle Ranching
MONTANA RANCHER, BEN LEHFELDT, BOOSTS HIS OPERATION WITH HELP FROM NRCS AND SOME CREATIVE WAYS TO ADD VALUE
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Montana rancher, Ben Lehfeldt, raises both sheep and cattle on his ranch. His partnership with the USDA-NRCS and his appetite for innovation have helped him make his operation more profitable and sustainable. Learn more about the Lehfeldts and their ongoing and beneficial partnership with the USDA-NRCS.
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USDA Announces New FPAC Leadership to Better Serve Farmers and Ranchers
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MEET THE NEW LEADERSHIP AT USDA
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Meet the new leadership at the USDA's Farm Production and Conservation mission area, including the new NRCS Chief Aubrey Bettencourt and the new FSA Administrator Bill Beam.
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Webinar Replay: Integrating Social Science and Communications to Drive Invasive Woody Plant Management
CHECK OUT THIS GREAT WEBINAR FROM THE USDA-NRCS
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Watch this on demand webinar (originally hosted 3/25/25) learn about a recently completed USDA-NRCS CIG project that connects social science research and communications to promote brush management behavior in Kansas and Oklahoma. Learn how to integrate this data into targeted communication messages aimed to increase participation in brush management.
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| Pocket Guide to Sagebrush Available from NRCS (FREE!)
FREE RESOURCE FOR PLANTS OF THE SAGEBRUSH SEA
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The USDA-NRCS and conservation partners collaborated on a pocket guide with information on the many plants of the sagebrush landscape, ranging from sagebrush to wheatgrass.
The guide provides identifying characteristics and range maps for 18 species of sagebrush, encompassing 27 different kinds (including subspecies and hybrids).
Order this free guide to learn more about the plants of this unique landscape.
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Now Available:
Resources and On-demand Videos from IMAGINE's Level 1 Virtual Workshop
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CHECK OUT THE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP RESOURCES AND VIDEOS
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Did you miss the “Sharpening our tools to defend and grow the core against invasive annual grasses” virtual workshop hosted by IMAGINE back on April 2nd, 2025? Not a problem. They’ve got all the resources here.
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The USDA-NRCS is accepting applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program - Wetlands Reserve Easement Partnership to restore wetlands in target geographies in Nebraska. Applications due 5/30/25. Learn more and apply.
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Learn all about Northern Bobwhite Quail in this conservation webinar series from WLFW-East. If you've missed prior episodes, this is the place to find all past videos and to tune in to upcoming ones.
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Check out this powerful film, produced by the Western Landowners Alliance, about what can happen when landowners come together with partners, try new and innovative management practices, and commit to long-term riparian restoration.
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This article from the Cowboy State Daily covers new research from the University of Wyoming that details how pronghorn fleeing Wyoming's Red Desert due to unusually deep snow during the winter of 2022-23 were unable to cross unfamiliar fences and roads. More than half of the pronghorns in the study group died from starvation and exhaustion. The USDA's Migratory Big Game Initiative, which launched as a pilot in Wyoming in 2022 and was expanded to Montana and Idaho in 2023, is focusing on identifying and improving fence barriers so migrating big game can access the food resources they need, even during extreme weather events like the winter of 2022-23.
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Have you heard of the "Green Glacier"? Check out this great podcast from our partner, Pheasants Forever, featuring WLFW's Great Plains grasslands science advisor, Dr. Dirac Twidwell, discussing the impacts encroaching trees - aka the Green Glacier - have on Great Plains grasslands and what can be done to stop it.
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Working Lands for Wildlife is the Natural Resources Conservation Service's premier approach for conserving America's working lands to benefit people, wildlife, and rural communities. In the West, WLFW is guided by two, action-based frameworks for conservation. The framework approach is designed to increase conservation and restoration of rangelands by addressing major threats to rangeland health and through the implementation of conservation measures that limit soil disturbance, support sustainable grazing management, promote the strategic use of prescribed fire, and support native grassland species. Together, the frameworks leverage the power of voluntary, win-win conservation solutions to benefit people and wildlife from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
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