Prairie Management Toolbox

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. 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. Grasslands are dynamic, and demand disturbances to maintain their healthy and biodiversity. Over thousands of years, disturbances such as drought, fire, and grazing have shaped the prairie plants, animals, and soils into what they are today. The thoughtful deployment of these tools provides conditions for livestock and wildlife to thrive. The vast majority of remaining grasslands in the Northern Great Plains are on private lands, so we believe the future of grasslands and the birds that rely on them depends on partnering with the ranchers who steward these lands.  

In the Northern Great Plains, more than half of native grasslands have been converted to other uses. The remaining acres, while resilient, face growing threats from fragmentation, tree invasion, and declining biodiversity caused by fire suppression and incompatible grazing practices. Audubon Great Plains is working to address those challenges through the Prairie Management Toolbox, a program that provides financial and technical assistance tools to landowners and land managers to restore native prairies, improve grazing systems, and adapt management to a changing world. 

Our team of range ecologists works side-by-side with producers to develop ranch specific management plans. These plans outline practical strategies to improve soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat while supporting the long-term sustainability of working lands. By restoring open rangelands in the Northern Great Plains, we’re safeguarding critical nesting and migratory habitat for grassland and shorebird species and building a future where birds, people, and prairies thrive together.