Conserving “working wetlands” is difficult without ranchers’ buy-in to solutions, however, the ranchers’ input is often absent from discussion. This study, published by the Intermountain West Joint Venture in collaboration with Virginia Tech, University of Montana, and Partners for Conservation, collected information from ranchers to find out what factors they consider in managing their land.

It is undeniable that native grasslands and wetlands are the most endangered ecosystem, along with its birds and range of ecosystem services. However, the tangibility of consumer effects on the loss of these lands is sometimes lost on both conservationists and consumers themselves. In his TEDx talk, Marshall Johnson speaks on the power of consumer decisions to save the world’s “most endangered ecosystem.”

Achieving sustainability in the beef industry may sound incredibly challenging, but the work of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef proves otherwise. The organization hopes to transform the U.S. beef value chain into the global example for “environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable beef.”

The Lesser-Prairie Chicken (LPC) was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 2014, but was subsequently considered for removal from the in 2015 after a significant interstate push for the conservation of its habitat and the survival of the species. Some of the main proponents of the prompt response were the five WAFWA directors of the five states identified as providing habitat to the LPC.

The Intermountain West Joint Venture and the Bureau of Land Management have collaborated to organize a series of newsletters that include a diverse collection of “compelling sagebrush conservation stories.”

A landowner-led nonprofit organization, Partners for Conservation focuses on grassroots conservation efforts. PFC works to support farmers and promote conservation through “voluntary, incentive-based public and private programs,” including partnerships with other agencies, non-profits, and policymakers.

According to The Nature Conservancy (TNC), grazing has the largest ecological footprint of any agricultural activity. In collaboration with landowners, public and private organizations, and government agencies, TNC hopes to transform the practices of the $76 billion beef industry to be more environmentally sustainable and place the livelihood of natural grassland ecosystems first.

In September 2016, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation published its long-term conservation plan for the Northern Great Plains with the desired outcome of 1 million acres of “focal area” grasslands improved or maintained. The business plan is intended to be a “concise blueprint” of the resources and strategies needed to achieve the NFWF’s desired conservation outcomes.

The 2019 Audubon North American Grasslands & Birds Report evaluated the need for conservation in the age of rising global temperatures. Similar to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s 2016 Business Plan, the Report used representative species especially vulnerable to climate change to identify the areas most susceptible to habitat loss and population declines.

Collaboration between the Fish and Wildlife Service and Prairie Pothole Joint Venture spawned a long-term strategy centered around the preservation of four “priority” grassland species. Along with the work of 20+ partner organizations, the conservation plan outlines the future work of state agencies, federal agencies, and NGOs ranging from Mexico, the US, and Canada.

The North American Intergovernmental Committee on Cooperation for Wilderness and Protected Areas Conservation (NAWPA) held discussions from 2015-2017 to analyze the state of North American grasslands and their future resiliency. In support of these conversations, NatureServe, a Virginia-based conservation resource nonprofit, published a conservation plan with NAWPA and alongside other conservation groups such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the USGS Gap Analysis program, and others.

"Plow-up decreases overall, while South Dakota’s grasslands are converted at an accelerating rate” reads the WWF’s 2018 Plowprint Report. The annual publication is a concise summary examining the general state of US grasslands and grassland conservation from the year prior: in this case, 2017 grassland data and information were used to synthesize the report.

The Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion has been subject to livestock grazing for hundreds of years given its lengthy civilized history. This assessment by Pronatura Noreste in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund is an extensive report on the “most robust dataset possible on the state of conservation projects throughout the Desert.

The AWFA Grassland Working Group (GWG) is a cooperative established to share resources and findings among conservation groups throughout Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. The GWG is conducting a tri-national survey to determine which projects need additional funding and other resources.

“Working collaboratively to cover more ground,”

written by Stu Mackenzie, Director of Migration Ecology, Birds Canada

Understanding how, where, and why birds migrate the way they do is crucial to protecting them. But the science of avian migration can be complex and consuming, requiring the collaboration of many researchers and advanced technology. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System tackles both of these requirements in one: a groundbreaking research network that employs coordinated automated radio telemetry to track the movements of birds, bats, and insects.

A unified voice promoting native grasslands vegetation. The Native Grasslands Alliance offers membership to any individual or organization that supports native vegetation on working and recreational lands. The Alliance creates long-term change by developing community-based models. See more …

Population growth and conventional agricultural methods threaten both the earth and agriculture itself. The Land Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Salina, Kansas, works to create perennial crops that mimic natural systems, all to eliminate the negative impacts of agriculture and maximize food output. The Institute comprises a team of plant breeders and ecologists that collaborate in several partnerships worldwide.

A diverse range of parties including private landowners, businesses, governmental agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions gathered for the Center for Collaborative Conservation’s “Confluence 2020” conference this March 10-12th. The annual event aims to “Connect, Convene, and Catalyze” members of the Western Collaborative Conservation Network to create and sustain collaborative, community-based conservation efforts.

by Jeremy Pittman

A presentation on collaborative conservation efforts and their results on farmers. The presentation details the implementation of land securement, conservation easements, and considers the barriers present to cooperation from farmers and other stakeholders.

of North American Great Plains Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, Prairie Potholes.

Another effective collaborative conservation effort, the Prairie Pothole joint venture recently led an assessment of critical grasslands to address land degradation and subsequent declines in migratory bird populations. The team used satellite landcover data to carry out the assessment and reached concerning findings about the decline of PUDL (potentially undisturbed land).