US Fish & Wildlife finds that in the last 10 years, North America has lost more than 50 million acres of grasslands. At a total loss of 80%. The World Wildlife Fund reports that 2.6 million acres of grassland habitat was lost in the North American Great Plains in 2019 alone. Ranching protects these landscapes from being sold to developers, rock quarries, or tilled for cropland. The last stand against the Anthropocene. Our grazing lands are the Great Barrier Reef of North America. #AmazingGrazingLands
In southern Alberta, grassland is being ploughed up in order to avoid environmental scrutiny for industrial wind energy facilities.
US FISH & WILDLIFE are useless. I have repeatedly sent examples in of a local landowner that has destroyed grassland-trees and has drained and plowed up sloughs. Destroyed numerous acres of native grasses. They wont do anything. I have repeatedly contaced NCRS / USDA and they are usless as well. No reaction. This landowner destroyed land that had perviously been CRP native grasses as well as 4 acres of trees. Destroyed it all and planted corn. Lanowner has also drained field onto outer land leadign down to the river. I contaacted Corp or Engineering and their hands were tied. Useless bureaucratic government BS. I have spent thousdands of dollars fighting this AH and have loss
That’s an interesting perspective!
There is an 80 acre native grass field west of my home, and the sunsets I’ve witnessed there are indelible in my memory banks. I told a fellow land professional just this week as we drove past it that it’s highest and best use is a native grass hayfield - nothing more.
What’s your go to tip for the every day consumer? What can they do? And what’s your personal opinion on the “converting acres” to regen what’s the best lever to get farmers and ranchers on board
Oh the days of biotic geography where we studied grasslands and cattle management. Truly misunderstood subject matter by the masses. It is hard for me to see that not everyone got that memo.
A cow outdoors on pastureland is an environmental disaster.
The comparison to barrier reefs is interesting. It is also accurate.
Environmental Scientist II at Doucet
10moDo you happen to know what types of land ownership was most common in that 80% loss? With Texas having such high percentages of private lands I’m curious as to whether that makes it more susceptible or less susceptible to things like this. On one hand ranchers are able to pursue both ag and wildlife exemptions and keep their land reasonably affordable and in the family, on the other hand that may just mean there’s more private land available to sell to developers.