A Statewide Effort to Restore Grasslands, Improve  Wildlife Habitat & Strengthen Working Lands 

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The Opportunity:

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The North Dakota Wildlife Federation (NDWF) is developing the North Dakota Open Prairie Initiative, a statewide effort to address one of the greatest threats facing North Dakota's grasslands: woody encroachment. 

North Dakota’s grasslands are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Declines in prairies have led to equally extreme reductions in population numbers for wildlife. Historically, fires were a common event in prairies, often recurring every couple of years in the wetter tallgrass prairies to every 20-30 years in the drier shortgrass prairies. Prescribed fire supports improved habitat for grassland birds and other wildlife. 

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The woody encroachment removal strives to facilitate a positive North Dakota landowner awareness of prescribed fire as a management tool.  Removal of woody species can be used to manage fuel loads, helping to prevent wildfires. More importantly, woody removal can be a safe and effective method to increase grassland productivity for wildlife and livestock alike.

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What We Plan to Do:

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With support from the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF), NDWF will coordinate woody vegetation removal projects on:

 

● Private lands enrolled in North Dakota Game and Fish PLOTS 

● Private lands with willing landowners (some access component preferred) 

● Other state, federal, tribal, and publicly accessible lands

 ● High-value grassland and wildlife habitat identified by conservation partners 

Treatment methods will be tailored to each site and may include mechanical cutting, mastication, shearing, targeted herbicide application, and debris management. 

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Interested? Contact Kali Lee- Eastern North Dakota Conservation Specialist

Email- klee.ndwf@gmail.com      Cell: (701) 430-3295      www.northdakotawildlife.org