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Audubon to Expand Rancher-Powered Conservation for Birds Across 500,000 Grassland Acres
NFWF investment will scale regenerative grazing practices to the benefit of grassland birds
Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2026)—The National Audubon Society today announced it has been awarded $4 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) through the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative to expand bird-friendly ranching practices across the Central Grasslands—one of North America’s most important and most threatened ecosystems for birds.
Grassland birds are among the fastest-declining groups of birds on the continent, largely due to habitat loss and degradation across agricultural lands. Through this investment, Audubon will work with farmers and ranchers to implement regenerative grazing and habitat management practices that restore the structure and diversity of grasslands that birds need to survive—while strengthening the productivity and resilience of grass-based agricultural operations.
Audubon’s project will be delivered through its Audubon Conservation Ranching program, which in less than a decade has grown into one of the most recognizable and impactful grassland conservation programs in the U.S. Over the next three years, Audubon will enroll 32 new ranches into the effort, bringing another 500,000 acres in 13 states managed to support grassland birds under the unique Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land certification.
Marshall Johnson, Audubon’s Chief Conservation Officer, said the 150 farms and ranches currently in the Audubon Conservation Ranching program—totaling nearly 4.5 million acres—signal a true producer-led conservation movement, one that this funding will continue to grow.
“Thanks to NFWF and program partners, this project increases the power and profile of voluntary, rancher-led conservation efforts to deliver measurable benefits for working lands, wildlife, and rural communities on half a million acres in America’s Central Grasslands,” Johnson said.
Dave Haubein, owner of Round Rock Ranch in Missouri and the first rancher to achieve Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land certification, emphasized the importance of recognizing ranchers as conservation leaders. Seeing his peer producer network lifted up as the driver of change is essential to the conservation success story.
“It’s heartening to see growing support for partnerships that center on ranchers as conservation stewards for our nation’s grasslands,” Haubein said. “Ranchers know if soil, water, and grasslands aren’t healthy, neither are our operations. Being part of Audubon Conservation Ranching helped us put a name and a framework around practices we believe in, while showing that proper grazing can not only support birds and wildlife, but can increase productivity of the land and the animals.”
Audubon is one of six initial grantees—including the American Bird Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Mule Deer Foundation, Sand County Foundation, and University of Missouri—selected through the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, a landmark public-private partnership led by NFWF to invest more than $200 million over seven years in voluntary conservation across working lands. These initial six grantees are expected to work with more than 750 private cattle ranch operations across 26 states. The Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative funding is also supported by McDonald’s USA, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and several key McDonald’s USA beef and beverage suppliers.
“Today is a great day for America’s wildlife, its ranching communities and its beef supply chain,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “This first round of grants from the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative shows what can happen when corporations, federal agencies, conservation organizations, and private landowners join forces to support both wildlife conservation and economic prosperity. This initiative is just getting started. We are confident it will play a leading role in grasslands conservation across the nation for years to come.”
Ranchers interested in participating with Audubon through the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative should contact Thomas Schroeder, Senior Partnership Manager with the Audubon Conservation Ranching program, at thomas.schroeder@audubon.org.
At a glance: Audubon’s Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative project
Project title: Implementing regenerative grazing and habitat conservation practices to enhance the biodiversity and resilience of grassland ecosystems in the Central Grasslands through the Audubon Conservation Ranching program.
Project scope: Advance improved grazing management and conservation practices across 500,000 acres in 13 states.
Key action: Enroll 32 new farms and ranches in the Audubon Conservation Ranching program
Expected outcomes:
- Restore the habitat diversity that grassland birds depend on for nesting and foraging
- Improve soil health and water retention, increasing resilience to drought and extreme weather
- Enhance forage productivity and long-term sustainability for ranching operations
- Increase carbon sequestration in soils
- Demonstrate measurable improvements in grassland bird populations and broader biodiversity
About Audubon Conservation Ranching
Audubon Conservation Ranching partners with ranchers to sustain healthy grasslands, abundant birdlife, and resilient rural communities. Through our bird-friendly land certification and science-based approach, we empower land stewards to enhance habitat, improve soil health and water quality, and strengthen the connection between conservation and ranching. By purchasing products from Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land, consumers become conservationists, helping protect America’s grasslands and the birds, wildlife, and people that depend on them. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation’s largest conservation foundation. Since its founding, NFWF has funded more than 23,900 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $12 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org.