People

People in the Landscape

People who manage grasslands sustainably – from Indigenous Nations to ranching families to Mexican ejidos (landowner collectives) – understand the land and its natural cycles, what the land looks like when it’s healthy, and when the land needs help.

Sustainable Ranching Grows Healthy Grasslands

Cattle grazing in sagebrush in Wyoming
A thriving ranching industry is critical to supporting resilient grasslands. Central grasslands evolved hand-in-hand with grazing bison in a mutual relationship that benefitted native plants and other wildlife. Sustainable grazing by livestock stimulates grassland growth by providing ground disturbance from hoof action to encourage new growth, adding nutrients through manure, and supporting a rich array of life from plants and bugs to birds and mammals.
Tribal warden Herman St. Clair releasing a sage grouse hen as part of movement and nesting area study.

Indigenous Peoples and Nations

Indigenous Peoples of the plains and prairies have lived in this region since time immemorial. They have a deep history with grasslands, and this connection to the land is of sacred and spiritual significance. Today Indigenous Nations manage roughly 6.3% of the Great Plains, which is primarily intact grasslands. Prairie plants and animals have been and continue to be used as a source of food and medicine, among other things. The reintroduction of bison has helped to improve the health of these grasslands as well as its stewards. Activities like cultural burning demonstrate the vital role of Indigenous Science and Traditional Knowledge in both the cultural and ecological well-being of the grassland ecosystem. These and other cultural traditions are essential to the future of grassland conservation.

Partnerships Support Beneficial Practices

Land ownership models, public lands, and other governance practices vary among Canada, the United States, sovereign First Nations, and Mexico. JV8 works with all governments and governance structures to encourage the protection and recovery of grasslands.

RGJV Board member & owner of Rancho Las Yucas (shown) in Durango, MX with his grassland managers, partner of RGJV and Pronatura Noreste-R Rylander

JVs and other organizations partner with willing landowners, from Mexico to Canada, to support beneficial practices for managing working lands. These best practices can result in financially viable operations that also protect against further declines in grassland habitats.

Collaborating to protect grasslands through voluntary approaches on working lands is a vital part of conserving this landscape. When we can work together, it’s a win-win-win for the land, the land stewards, and the public.

Photo Credits
  • Lacreek Refuge staff survey prairie grasses: Photo: Orlanda John/USFWS
  • Cattle grazing in sagebrush in Wyoming: Photo: Pauline Hope/USFWS
  • Herman St. Clair tribal fish game releasing sage grouse Wind River: Photo: Pat Hnilicka/USFWS
  • RGJV Board member & owner of Rancho Las Yucas (shown) in Durango, MX with his grassland managers, partner of RGJV and Pronatura Noreste-R Rylander: Photo: Bildo Saravia/RGJV