The Conservation Forage Program has successfully restored over 10,000 acres of grassland in North Dakota, marking a significant milestone in its effort to bring back critical bird grassland habitat. With a goal of restoring 18,000 acres — the program is now over halfway to completion. 

The North Dakota Conservation Forage Program (CFP) works with North Dakota's producers and landowners to establish grasslands on marginal cropland to back to native grasses and forbs, improving soil health while creating essential nesting and foraging habitat for grassland birds and other wildlife. By providing support through financial and technical assistance to landowners, CFP aims to accelerate grassland restoration and improve overall soil health across the state. These grassland acres benefit the landowner and livestock, as well as grassland birds and native wildlife while protecting North Dakota's air and water quality for future generations. 

“We recently purchased the land and knew that it needed to put back to grass for it to be productive again. We actively ranch and the program offered by your organization was the best option for our operation to get cattle back on the land. We are very excited to see how quickly we can build the soil quality.” — Davis and Amber Kinn, Landowner.   

The program’s success is rooted in voluntary enrollment and cost-share assistance. As the effort continues toward the 18,000-acre goal, more landowners are encouraged to participate and be part of a legacy of land stewardship in North Dakota. 

"I lost my passion for farming and sitting for long hours in a tractor.  We made the decision to seed our last cropland back to grass so we could manage the land with rotational grazing our livestock and lower inputs.  With farming and haying of warm season cover crops, we were not seeing the hoof action and nutrient cycling needed.  Adding native grass and cattle will help us to fill that missing piece and continue to improve our land management. We have had a great experience working with the program, we wouldn't be able to complete these projects in a timely manner without the availability of financial assistance." —Lance Gartner, Landowner 

Launched in the spring of 2021, the success of CFP is financially supported the North Dakota Industrial Commission Outdoor Heritage Fund, CORTEVA, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Special thank you to project partner support from US Fish and Wildlife Servies, North Dakota Game and Fish, Delta Waterfowl, the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Natural Resource Conservation Service, the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, and the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts.  

For more information about the Conservation Forage Program please visit https://greatplains.audubon.org/CFP or contact Charlene Kohler Prodzinski at 701-509-7357 or at charlene.kohler@audubon.org.