Did you know that grasslands provide vital habitat for a multitude of species which represent the lifeblood of local and regional economies?? That the maintenance of health populations of grasslands species and working lands are critical for rural economies? That grassland and rangeland ecosystems provide essential and significant habitat for mammals, pollinators, reptiles, and other wildlife? Roughly 358,000,000 acres or 85% of the United States is privately owned and serves as an important habitat for 29 grassland bird species!
And, most importantly, Congress agrees?!
The following is a bill that was introduced in the House of Representatives to conserve and restore grasslands in North America while supporting ranchers, farmers, Native American Tribes, sportsmen and women, and rural communities.
This council would have a Conservation Strategy that would draw from existing local, State, regional and international conservation plans and frameworks. They would identify key areas with grasslands at high risk, the highest potential of conserving native grasslands, restoring grasslands, and reducing fragmentation, and looking at populations of grasslands-dependent species of greatest conservation need.
Their specific goals would be to increase grasslands acreage through restoration or marginal cropland and pastureland, enhance existing grasslands, identify key grassland conservation, restoration, and management strategies, and examine current funding sources.
For more information on the bill to potentially be introduced this fall click here – Grasslands