Conservation Forage Program

Today, millions of acres of rangelands across the hemisphere support bird-friendly agriculture and continue to provide important breeding and migratory habitat for hundreds of bird species.

North America’s grasslands are vanishing, and with them, the birds that depend on them. Nearly a million acres of grassland per year are converted to other uses across the Great Plains. Grassland birds have declined more than any other bird group on the continent, with populations dropping by over 50% in the last 50 years. Even familiar species like the Western Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Bobolink are disappearing from our prairies. 

In the Northern Great Plains, more than half of native grasslands have been converted to other uses. Many of those acres are less productive as cropland than initially expected, and landowners are looking for options to establish those acres for forage production. These established grasslands provide habitat for imperiled grassland birds and connectivity in the landscape. The Conservation Forage Program provides technical and financial assistance to landowners who want to return croplands to native grasslands to support their livestock operations. We provide financial assistance for seed, fencing, and water, as well as establishment payments that ensure the landowner receives income while the prairie plants become fully established. By working collaboratively with landowners, we provide a grassland restoration option that provides greater flexibility for the landowner while helping them meet their financial goals.   

Our team of range ecologists works side-by-side with producers to develop ranch specific restoration plans. These plans outline practical strategies to improve forage quality and quantity, soil health, and wildlife habitat while supporting the long-term sustainability of working lands. By restoring grasslands in the Northern Great Plains, we’re creating critical nesting and migratory habitat for grassland birds and building a future where birds, people, and prairies thrive together. We know that what is good for the herd, is good for the bird.    

The North Dakota Conservation Forage Program (CFP) launched in the spring of 2021 supported by a $6.9 million North Dakota Industrial Commission Outdoor Heritage Fund grant, the largest awarded by the Commission.  Corteva Agrisciences provided key support for implementation with a $1.3 million investment in fall 2021. Since then, Audubon has seen widespread acceptance of this model. We have worked with over 100 landowners in North Dakota to establish 10,000 acres to grasslands and are working with partners to expand the model into neighboring states.