Special Report
Millions of grassland acres lost on Great Plains
Editor ’ s Note : This publication has been a tireless promoter of all that ’ s connected with our natural resources , thanks to many people who have placed that indent on me as the basis , the beginning in fact , of all living elements . To speak of habitat , grass , cattails , wetlands ... well , it ’ s boring stuff for many of us . As such , we just want to know where fish are biting and when our deer tag will arrive . Well , without habitat for these creatures and critters to flourish those questions would be mute .
Environmental issues , for most of us , are a sideline to catching fish and shooting ducks , pheasants and deer . Yet , without the quality and abundance of water , grassland , trees , cattails , wetlands , we wouldn ’ t have that opportunity . With that in mind , it ’ s imperative that all of us who load a shotgun , bait a hook , get up early , fill our pickups with gas to drive long , dusty roads toward our fishing and wildlife destinations , realize the importance of our involvement in promoting and maintaining adequate habitat for the many living creatures we value . It ’ s not just a plus for sportsmen and women . It ’ s also a giant plus for those who manage the land . Please get involved in background issues of keeping our great fish and wildlife resources a viable part of our lives . by Joshua Haiar South Dakota Searchlight
T he Great Plains lost 1.6 million acres of grasslands in 2021 , the most recent compilation . That ’ s according to a World Wildlife Fund report released last fall , detailing loss of grasslands in the U . S . and Canadian Great Plains . From 2012 to 2021 , grassland conversion ( to crops ) in the Great Plains totaled 32 million acres , or 50,000 square miles .
The Plowprint report identified row-crop expansion as the leading in grassland conversion .
Martha Kauffman , vice president for WWF ’ s Northern Great Plains program , emphasized the significance of preserving grasslands as part of the solution to climate change , not to mention the connection to preservation of
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