The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Landowner Alliance - Saving Ranching, Rural Communities, Water, and Wildlife

WATCH THE NEW SHORT FILM, “SAVING RANCHING TO SAVE WILDLIFE”

by the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Landowner Alliance, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Partners

Most of the grasslands in the Great Plains exist as rangelands – managed and stewarded by private landowners. Yet rising costs and the fact that ranching earns less than any other land use have cut rancher numbers in half since the 1980s.

As we lose these ranchers, we lose the valuable grassland ecosystems that support their livelihoods, rural communities, water, and wildlife. The lesser prairie-chicken – an iconic grassland bird famous for its spring dances – has lost 97% of its population since the 1800s. With 95% of remaining birds living on private lands, their future depends on the success of ranchers.

The LPCLA is finding innovative ways for ranchers to sustain their livelihoods while restoring health to the land. When ranchers can keep their operations viable, the grasslands and wildlife that depend on them also thrive.

NAGP has been instrumental as staff support to the LPCLA. To help us continue this work to save grasslands to save prairie grouse, DONATE and/or JOIN NAGP now at grousepartners.org/joinordonate

The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Landowner Alliance’s (LPCLA) mission is to save ranching, rural communities, water, and wildlife. It envisions a sustainable future for ranchers, and their rural communities and economies by ensuring they are paid fair market value for the multiple conservation services that grasslands and ranching provide to society. These services include clean air and water, and healthy wildlife habitat. These courageous rancher-conservationists from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico are using their voice to save grasslands, the most endangered ecosystem in North America and the world. By saving vast intact grasslands, we can also save prairie grouse. Learn more about the LPCLA at the below buttons.

To become a member of the LPCLA, please contact Taylor Linder, the Coordinator, at taylor@grousepartners.org.

LPCLA Correspondence:

Supporting Resources:

The below photos are of and by LPCLA co-lead, Stacy Hoeme, from Kansas.

As a rancher-conservationist hero, he has been a steadfast inspiration.