[PCA] Fwd: USDA to Invest in Prairie Pothole Landscape Effort

Tue Feb 18 12:07:25 CST 2014

By and large. the range of the blacktailed prairie dog lies west of the prairie pothole region that is the subject of this particular effort. The ranges of the other prairie dog species are entirely outside the region. Prairie dogs were not part of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.  But I think there is a valid point here: the impetus for the project is waterfowl production, not really prairie conservation, though the latter will likely be able to hitch a ride.

From: native-plants [mailto:native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Rick Huffman
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 5:12 PM
To: Jessie Strother
Cc: native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [PCA] Fwd: USDA to Invest in Prairie Pothole Landscape Effort

As I read this, I see no mention of Prarie Dogs. Prairie Dogs are the Key stone species. Without the pdogs the ecosystem is toast.
On Feb 14, 2014 2:04 PM, "Jessie Strother" <strotherjessie at yahoo.com<mailto:strotherjessie at yahoo.com>> wrote:
This is a great initiative as this region really needs some additional conservation based incentives.  So much has gone to massive fields of corn and nothing else!  J Strother

--------------------------------------------
On Fri, 2/14/14, De Angelis, Patricia <patricia_deangelis at fws.gov<mailto:patricia_deangelis at fws.gov>> wrote:

 Subject: [PCA] Fwd: USDA to Invest in Prairie Pothole Landscape Effort
 To: "native-plants" <native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org<mailto:native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org>>
 Date: Friday, February 14, 2014, 10:16 AM

 ---------- Forwarded
 message ----------
 From: USDA Office
 of Communications <usda at public.govdelivery.com<mailto:usda at public.govdelivery.com>>

 Date: Fri, Feb 14, 2014 at 11:35 AM
 Subject: USDA to Invest in Prairie Pothole Landscape Effort

 USDA Office of Communications
 Press Release

 Release No. 0023.14

 Contact:

 Office of
 Communications (202)720-4623<tel:%28202%29720-4623>

 USDA to Invest in Prairie Pothole Landscape
 Effort

 WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2014 - Agriculture Secretary Tom
 Vilsack announced that up to $35 million will be provided
 during the next three years to help landowners conserve
 grasslands and wetlands in the Prairie Pothole region. The
 announcement was made on the Secretary's behalf by Under
 Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert
 Bonnie.

 Farmers, ranchers and conservation partners will have
 access to a mix of financial and technical assistance
 opportunities through the Natural Resources Conservation
 Service (NRCS) to restore wetlands and grasslands.

 "This region of North Dakota, South Dakota,
 Minnesota, Iowa and Montana provides critical breeding and
 nesting habitat for more than 60 percent of the nation's
 migratory waterfowl," Bonnie said of the Prairie
 Pothole region. "Our goal is to help landowners manage
 their working lands in a way that's compatible with
 agricultural production and good stewardship of the soil,
 water and habitat resources of the area so we are really
 talking about keeping working lands working."

 The wetlands and grasslands that characterize the region
 provide vital water storage to reduce regional flooding,
 improve water quality, and have tremendous potential to
 store carbon in soils, which reduces the level of carbon
 dioxide in the atmosphere, one of the leading greenhouse
 gases contributing to climate change.

 The funding comes in a couple of pieces, including:

 Environmental Quality Incentives
 Program: The agency's largest conservation
 program will help producers with expiring Conservation
 Reserve Program contracts keep their lands as working
 grasslands or haylands through implementation of prescribed
 grazing and other conservation practices.

 Ducks Unlimited-NRCS partnership for carbon
 credits: NRCS is working with North Dakota, South
 Dakota and Montana to create a carbon credit marketing
 system for landowners who agreed to avoid tilling
 grasslands. This work started in 2011 in North Dakota as
 part of a Conservation Innovation Grant, but now it's
 being expanded to the three states. Through this system,
 interested landowners can keep their land in grass, continue
 grazing and haying, and generate verified carbon credits
 that place a conservation easement on their land. These
 credits can be sold or traded into existing voluntary carbon
 markets.

 NRCS also is providing additional technical assistance to
 complete certified wetland determinations, needed by
 producers to meet conservation compliance requirements first
 put in place in 1985.

 Additionally, the 2014 Farm Bill has expanded
 opportunities for conserving grasslands and wetlands,
 including those in the Prairie Pothole region. To find out more about
 USDA's efforts to work with producers in the region
 click here. USDA also recently solicited
 proposals for Conservation Innovation Grants.

 For more information on these opportunities, visit a local NRCS field office or
 the NRCS website.

 #

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 file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of
 the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of
 Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC
 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer
 Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866)
 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

 If you have questions about USDA activities, please visit
 our Ask the Expert page. This
 feature is designed to assist you in obtaining the
 information you are seeking.

 USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To
 file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of
 the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of
 Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC
 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer
 Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866)
 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

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