Northern Great Plains Stories

Each year, WWF uses data from the USDA to track the conversion of grasslands to cropland across the Great Plains of North America and compare the loss to that of previous years. Here's what we found.

They may not be household names, but these ecosystems are vital to the health of our planet. They support an incredible range of plants and animals, as well as millions of people and their communities, and play a critical role in fighting climate change.

WWF’s latest annual study of the extent and impact of conversion of grasslands to croplands reveals that though such activity activity generally declined across the Great Plains in 2017, it has nearly doubled in South Dakota within the same time span.

As shoppers and eaters, we have immense power to save habitats, fight climate change, and keep our planet livable by taking simple actions at home and in stores every day. Here are five steps you can take right now.

Right now, members of Congress are working out the final details of the 2018 Farm Bill, and the stakes for conservation are huge.

Bees are arguably the most effective pollinators of crops and wild plants in North America, joined by flies, wasps, beetles, bats, butterflies, and birds.

Grassland birds native to the Northern Great Plains are losing vital habitat in the form of plow-up for row crop agriculture.

What methods are most effective for distributing sylvatic plague vaccine to prairie dogs, the endangered black-footed ferret’s prey?

Grassland birds have taken a nosedive in recent decades: They’re the fastest-declining bird group in North America.

When Del First was growing up on Fort Peck Indian Reservation in the 1960s, everyone in his neighborhood spoke Dakota, a language of the Sioux Nation. Today, hardly anyone does.

In early March, nearly 2,500 people donated a total of $256,512 to extend bison habitat at the park from 57,640 acres to 80,193 acres. This will allow the park to achieve and sustain a herd of more than 1,000 bison, and will allow more park visitors to see and learn about the United States’ National mammal.

Every year, trillions of gallons of rainfall and snowmelt pour into the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. But the role the grasslands play in capturing all that liquid is often poorly understood. Enter the rainfall simulator.

Behind beef, soy is the second largest agricultural driver of deforestation worldwide. From the Northern Great Plains of the U.S. to the Amazon of Brazil, forests, grasslands, and wetlands are being plowed up to make room for more soy production. 

Kate Rasmussen of South Dakota offers readers a glimpse into the life of a next-generation rancher from the Northern Great Plains, one of the largest remaining intact grasslands in the world. WWF is partnering with organizations such as the South Dakota Grasslands Coalition in support of ranching families and grassland stewards like the Rasmussen family.

North America's Grasslands, a landscape that once seemed to offer the promise of endless resources, are being lost to the plow faster than deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. This year, WWF is releasing the first edition of a new annual publication called the Plowprint Report, whose purpose is to track annual grassland conversion to cropland across the Great Plains, and to provide a consistent way to measure the loss of this important habitat type.

An unlikely combination of peanut butter and drones has given biologists renewed hope for the future of North America’s rarest mammal, the endangered black-footed ferret. Biologists are helping these fascinating animals and their main prey—prairie dogs—fight a deadly plague by dropping peanut butter-flavored, vaccine-laced bait into their habitat.

Spadefoot toads are named for the hard, wedgeshaped pads on their hind feet.

“The majesty of the Northern Great Plains is undeniable,” Davis says.

For generations the Clark family has placed great value on time spent outdoors.

From bison herds in the Northern Great Plains to polar bears in the far north of Alaska, wild creatures need our help to not only survive, but to thrive. WWF works with the government, businesses, universities, local communities, and other conservation organizations to ensure we can protect animal populations and their habitats. Take a look at a few of these amazing species found in the United States

Ranchers are often the first to admit they prefer to shy away from the spotlight. However, when they do participate, there is an opportunity to elevate the conversation about North American sustainable beef production and private lands stewardship while celebrating innovation and leadership with their peers. WWF supports stewardship award recognition programs in all five Northern Great Plains states (MT, ND, SD, WY, NE), where ranchers manage the majority of the NGP’s remaining intact grasslands. 

The bison—a resilient and iconic species roaming our Northern Great Plains—now serves as the national mammal of the United States, celebrating a species once on the brink of extinction.

Two tribes and a host of partners rally to restore the buffalo to tribal lands