Bennet, Wyden, Klobuchar Introduce Legislation to Restore America's Grasslands

The North American Grasslands Conservation Act Empowers Colorado’s Ranchers, Farmers, and Tribes to Restore and Conserve Grasslands, Supports Colorado’s Rural Economies and Wildlife Species That Depend on Grassland Ecosystems

Washington, D.C.— Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources, joined U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to introduce the North American Grasslands Conservation Act. This legislation would prevent further loss of native grasslands and sagebrush shrub-steppe systems, strengthen grassland and rangeland health and management, improve biodiversity and habitat, provide increased recreation and hunting opportunities, and confront the climate crisis by mitigating the threats of wildfire and drought and increasing carbon sequestration. The bill also establishes the first-ever North American Grassland Conservation Strategy.

“Many rural communities across Colorado and the American West rely on our imperiled grassland ecosystems for working agricultural lands and the outdoor economy,” said Bennet. “But intense wildfires and extreme drought fueled by climate change have put our grasslands at risk. The North American Grassland Conservation Act would ensure that Colorado has the resources to work collaboratively with farmers, ranchers, landowners, and tribes to voluntarily restore our native grasslands, improve wildlife habitat, protect our watersheds, and confront the climate crisis.”

“Grasslands are an essential American landscape, supporting the livelihoods of farmers, ranchers and Tribes like those in my home state of Oregon. They're home to iconic -- yet threatened -- wildlife and have serious potential to help in the fight against the climate emergency. Yet, wildfires, invasive grasses and degradation, and more leave America's grasslands imperiled. They are disappearing before our eyes,” said Wyden. “By finally establishing a national strategy and empowering landowners to protect their lands, this legislation will go far in restoring and conserving these open spaces.”

“Grasslands are critical to farmers and rural communities across Minnesota and throughout our country, providing clean air and water as well as forage for livestock and habitat for wildlife. It’s critical that we protect these vital grasslands from the threats of wildfire, drought and other natural disasters,” said Klobuchar. “Our legislation will help give landowners additional resources to help conserve and restore grasslands for years to come.” 

Grassland ecosystems are among the most vulnerable in the world. Over the last decade alone, millions of acres of grasslands have been lost to wildfire and commercial development and continue to face fragmentation, invasive species, and degradation. The agriculture community and Tribes are deeply connected to the landscape and are often on the frontlines protecting these lands from devastating wildfires, drought, and subsequent encroachment from fire-prone invasive species. In addition to agriculture, hunting and recreation are important cultural and economic benefits of intact and healthy grasslands.

The North American Grasslands Conservation Act takes bold action to empower land stewards to conserve and restore grasslands in North America by establishing a voluntary, incentive-based grant program and supporting the rural economies and wildlife species that depend on them – all while helping to address the climate crisis.

Modeled after the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the North American Grasslands Conservation Act:

  • Establishes a North American Grassland Conservation Strategy for the protection, restoration, and management of grassland ecosystems across North America. The strategy would identify areas at high risk for grassland habitat loss, high potential conservation areas, and at-risk populations of grassland-dependent bird species like sage grouse, and will identify specific goals for enhancing grasslands. This strategy would draw from existing local, state, Tribal, and regional conservation plans and wildlife action plans.
  • Establishes a flexible Grassland Conservation Grant Program for voluntary, incentive-based conservation of grasslands, including projects to restore degraded grasslands, increase carbon sequestration, improve grassland and rangeland health, mitigate the threats of wildfire and drought, improve biodiversity and support habitat connectivity, and restore watersheds.
  • Creates National and Regional Grassland Conservation Councils to recommend and approve grassland conservation projects to be funded under the grant program, and provide recommendations on best practices that will support on-the-ground work already being done. The Council will be composed of federal, state, Tribal, conservation organizations, and different farming, ranching, or grazing groups.
  • Establishes research initiatives on native seed crop systems and regenerative grazing practices.
  • Supports regenerative grazing research by establishing a jointly run pilot program to holistically study the effectiveness of regenerative grazing practices to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis on Forest Service and BLM lands.

Bennet has worked to restore and strengthen Colorado’s grasslands. In 2021, Bennet introduced the bipartisan Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Act to formally establish the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership to better support forest and grassland restoration projects across public and private land. The bill’s Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership reauthorization was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The bill text is available HERE. A one-page summary of the bill is available HERE. A section-by-section summary is available HERE.

The bill is endorsed by: Colorado Wildlife Federation, National Wildlife Federation, Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever, North American Grouse Partnership, National Deer Association, First Nations Development Institute, World Wildlife Fund, Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance, National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Native American Fish and Wildlife Association, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Izaak Walton League of America, American Bird Conservancy, Land Trust Alliance, Southeastern Grasslands Initiative, Missouri Prairie Foundation, North Dakota Wildlife Federation, Tennessee Wildlife Federation, Idaho Wildlife Federation, Minnesota Conservation Federation, Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society, Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, Montana Wildlife Federation, and South Dakota Wildlife Federation.

“We appreciate Senator Bennet's co-sponsorship of this essential bill to help farmers, ranchers, tribal nations, and others to work together to conserve and restore our rapidly declining native grasslands. Numerous species of greatest conservation need in the Colorado Wildlife Action Plan depend upon our grasslands habitat for their survival,” said Colorado Wildlife Federation Executive Director Suzanne O’Neill.

“Resilient, productive grasslands are vital for clean air and water, food security, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation and the future of our urban and rural communities. Private landowners, Indigenous leaders and partners across the country are working hard to conserve our grasslands but our disparate efforts have not changed the downward trajectory of this disappearing landscape,” said Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Executive Director Tammy VerCauteren. “The bipartisan North American Grasslands Conservation Act represents an opportunity to voluntarily reverse those trends, to help catalyze funding that supports a grass-based economy delivering critical resources where they are needed most. We strongly encourage our elected representatives to ratify this bill at the earliest possible time so that we can put those resources to work restoring, conserving and enhancing our North American grasslands for the diverse human communities and wildlife that depend upon them.”

“Grasslands are central to many Tribal communities. They provide habitat to many species of wildlife that are culturally important, offer traditional foods and medicines to Native people, and provide the economic base for many ranching families and Tribal governments. The North American Grasslands Conservation Act addresses all of these important issues for Tribal communities,” said Stewarding Native Lands for the First Nations Development Institute Director of Programs Shaun Grassel.

“When Native Americans and Settlers waded through the endless sea of grass in the southwestern Great Plains and fed themselves on lesser prairie-chickens, they could not have imagined the day when all that remained were small patches of prairie and an endangered species. It is beyond time we have a Grasslands Act for the entire nation so all Americans can help caring landowners voluntarily protect and restore their prairie habitats,” said North American Grouse Partnership Executive Director Ted Koch.

“Grasslands matter because they provide irreplaceable habitat for species like the plains bison. They matter because they lock carbon in the ground. And they matter as a home for the Native nations and ranchers whose cultures and livelihoods are tied to the land. Pressure to convert grasslands for agriculture or other uses contributed to the loss of some 2.6 million acres across the US and Canadian portions of the Great Plains from 2018-2019 alone,” said World Wildlife Fund President and CEO Carter Roberts. “This new legislation would create incentives to help reverse that trend, providing funding needed to restore and conserve America’s remaining grasslands. It will enable landowners and Native nations to ensure grasslands remain for future generations. WWF thanks Senators Ron Wyden, Amy Klobuchar, and Michael Bennet for their leadership in introducing this landmark legislation.”

“Restored rangelands and grasslands comprised predominately of native plant species are the key to healthy wild northern bobwhite populations and many other grassland-associated species and agriculturally important pollinators. These habitats can also create a drought-resilient forage strategy for livestock producers,” said National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative Director John Morgan. “We applaud the bill sponsors for the introduction of the North American Grasslands Conservation Act and for the opportunity to work with private landowners to voluntarily restore the most endangered ecosystem in North America while recovering an iconic call of the wild in rural America.”

“The bad news is over half of our grassland birds have been lost since 1970.  The good news is these grassland bird populations respond quickly and positively to thoughtful management actions by our farmers and ranchers.  This legislation will significantly increase the opportunities for farmers and ranchers to make choices to benefit birds' and other wildlife habitat, regional water quality, and carbon sequestration, while maintaining profitable agribusiness,” said American Bird Conservancy Director of Farm Bill Policy Steve Riley.

“The conservation community and land trusts across the country have been working tirelessly to protect imperiled grasslands ecosystems, but without a larger, dedicated funding source, these threatened landscapes will continue to disappear at an alarming rate. On behalf of the Land Trust Alliance, I thank Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota for introducing legislation that will benefit wildlife, and climate resiliency, rural economies and tribal communities, and America’s ranching and agricultural communities,” said Land Trust Alliance Senior Director of Government Relations Lori Faeth. “We must preserve America’s grasslands before it’s too late. This bill empowers America’s landowners to step forward and utilize voluntary conservation tools where they are needed the most, with the results benefitting stakeholders across the board, from ranchers and farmers to hunters and anglers, tribal communities, and threatened plant and animal species. This model of conservation has proven highly successful for America’s wetlands and can play a crucial role in restoring native grassland habitat across the country as well.”