Grasslands for Tomorrow
“Grasslands for Tomorrow” emphasizes the protection of high quality prairie pothole habitat in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. There is great urgency in acting quickly to secure critical wetlands and grasslands before they disappear forever, particularly considering the historic losses that have already occurred in this important landscape.
Read the 2008 Grasslands for Tomorrow Progress Report.pdf
Spanning the U.S. and Canadian border, the Prairie Pothole Region is part of what was formerly the largest expanse of grassland in the world. Glaciers receding at the end of the last Ice Age left behind millions of shallow wetlands-known as prairie potholes-speckled in an endless sea of grass. Shallow wetlands teeming with aquatic plant and animal life are juxtaposed with grasslands communities lying atop deep, nutrient-rich soils. An impressive array of bird species is dependent on the productive and highly-diverse nature of the prairie.
Waterfowl are uniquely adapted to take advantage of the resources present in the PPR. They gorge themselves on protein-rich aquatic invertebrates before and during egg laying, nest in expansive fields of prairie grasses, and then return to the wetlands with their newly-hatched ducklings where they grow until they are ready for fall migration. Additionally, prairie wetlands offer crucial migration habitat for waterfowl nesting in the boreal forest and beyond, and also provide sanctuary for ducks during molt.
When it comes to breeding waterfowl, surrounding grasslands are equally as important as the prairie potholes themselves. North America's upland-nesting duck species (i.e. northern pintail, mallard, blue-winged teal, gadwall, etc.) will successfully nest up to a mile away from wetlands, provided adequate grassland habitat exists. While incubating their nests, hens and their eggs are extremely vulnerable to predators. Even in intact prairie systems, three-quarters of the nests may be lost to predators. However, when grassland is converted to cropland, the remaining nesting habitat becomes fragmented and thereby more easily searched by predators. Conversely, as the abundance of grassland increases in a landscape, hens are able to disperse their nests and nesting success increases. The need for large expanses of intact grasslands is the cornerstone of Ducks Unlimited Grasslands for Tomorrow Initiative. The future health of North American waterfowl population depends on this simple yet critical concept.
How We Work
The most ambitious goal of Grasslands for Tomorrow is to protect in perpetuity 2 million acres of the best-of-the-best remaining grasslands and wetlands in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region. Most (1.85 million acres) will be secured using perpetual wetland and grassland easements. These simple conservation easements are purchased from willing landowners in exchange for assurances that wetlands will never be drained, filled, leveled, or burned; and grasslands will never be plowed or hayed before the primary nesting season is complete (July 15th).
When habitat is at imminent risk of being lost and the current landowner is not interested in an easement, DU may acquire the land in a convention fee title acquisition. Once purchased, DU biologists and engineers will identify and conduct any necessary restorations, place the habitat under easement, then re-sell the land to a rancher, conservation buyer, or public agency. These new owners agree to abide by the terms of the easements, and the proceeds from the sale are returned to a revolving fund, later to be used for a new acquisition. Grasslands for Tomorrow anticipates protecting 150,000 acres through acquisitions using a revolving fund.
In addition to land protection, DU has biologists and engineering staff who continue to conduct important habitat restoration projects under Grasslands for Tomorrow. Where wetlands have been drained but adequate grassland nesting habitat remains, DU partners with other agencies, organizations, and private landowners to restore wetlands valuable to waterfowl. In areas where both wetlands and nesting cover have been severely impacted, more intensive management techniques such as nesting islands and fences may be constructed. Generally, these projects are very expensive, and DU is highly selective about when and where these techniques are used.
Public policy a critical part of DU’s conservation work in Grasslands for Tomorrow, particularly those policies related to the Farm Bill, wetlands protection, and funding for programs such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA).
Lastly, because most of the important, remaining habitat is on private land, DU has several programs that involve working with landowners to enhance their stewardship of critical resources while helping them sustain the economic viability of their operations. Among the most important programs are grassland easements purchased from ranchers, and promotion of winter wheat under a no-till, rotational cropping system. In a cropland-dominated environment, winter wheat is a duck-friendly alternative to spring-seeded crops, because it is planted in the fall and left undisturbed during the time when ducks are nesting in the fields. Consequently, duck nesting success in winter wheat is several-fold greater than nesting success in other crop types.