More Than One Million Acres of Sustainable Grassland
- Date: 30 October 2024
In the US Northern Great Plains, owners of 112 ranches are working with WWF to save one of the world’s last remaining grassland habitats. Multi-generational family ranchers across Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming are contributing to important conservation efforts to restore and preserve grasslands by implementing nature positive changes on their ranches. The work is being done through the Ranch Systems and Viability Planning (RSVP) network – a program that provides comprehensive training and support for ranchers to develop sustainable grazing management plans. Ranchers can apply to receive technical assistance, educational training, participate in ecological monitoring, and connect with peers through networking opportunities.
Grasslands are a critical component to ensuring the future health of our planet. This vast, iconic ecosystem is home to a variety of wildflowers, and numerous wildlife species. Grasslands also play an important role in fighting climate change by storing carbon underground within a vast network of roots. The benefits of improving management techniques to work in concert with nature are two-fold. The grasslands and its biodiversity will thrive, along with ranching’s grass-based economy and the communities which are built upon it.
“Monitoring allows us to see the changes that are taking place on the landscape due to our management decisions. We have always wanted to implement a monitoring program and the RSVP Network is allowing us this opportunity. ”
Heidi Terell
Terrell Green Acres, Nebraska
Water infrastructure project completed through RSVP program at Terrell Green Acres
The goal of the RSVP program is to improve land management on one million acres of land in the Northern Great Plains by 2025. The program has already surpassed expectations. Since 2021, 112 ranches have been enrolled in the program covering 1,256,767 acres of land. In this short amount of time, the program has seen measurable impacts in plant diversity and bird species observed on RSVP ranches, while innovative infrastructure projects such as virtual fencing are helping ranchers improve livestock management and safeguard biodiversity. The RSVP program also aims to spotlight the important role ranchers and farmers play in conservation and to amplify the diversity of participants. 52% of RSVP ranchers are women owners or co-owners, and over 30% of participants are under the age of 40.
Preserving the grasslands in the Northern Great Plains requires creative solutions across a variety of collaborators, including community members, government organizations, NGOs, and businesses. The RSVP program is supported with funds from WWF’s corporate and philanthropic partners including McDonald’s, the Walmart Foundation, and Cargill. This work continues to be a powerful example of how supply chain partners can help WWF to catalyze meaningful change in conservation.
RSVP is funded by McDonald's, the Walmart Foundation, Cargill, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, the US Department of Agriculture, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Knobloch Family Foundation, and the Rosen Family Foundation.