USDA Unveils Three-Year Conservation Strategy for Lesser Prairie-Chicken

By Justin Stakes

Conservation Makes Working Rangelands More Productive and Resilient to Wildfire and Climatic Extremes

Wilmore, KS -(AmmoLand.com)- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the release of a three-year conservation strategy that will guide the voluntary restoration of 500,000 acres of habitat for the lesser prairie-chicken, an iconic grassland bird of the southern Great Plains.

The bird has historically suffered from population declines and this strategy is part of an ongoing science-based strategic effort by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to restore grassland and prairie ecosystems while enhancing grazing lands in five states.

“Across the country, we’re seeing firsthand how farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are voluntarily stepping forward to aid wildlife species,” NRCS Chief Jason Weller said. “By adopting conservation systems, agricultural producers in the southern Great Plains can restore top-notch lesser prairie-chicken habitat while also making working lands more productive and resilient to wildfire and climatic extremes.”

NRCS Assistant Chief Kirk Hanlin made the announcement today at Hashknife Ranch in Kansas where the Koger family has worked to conserve habitat on their property through the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative (LPCI), part of the agency’s Working Lands for Wildlife …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand