In cooperation with local chapters, the Audubon National Wildlife Refuge will become part of a proposed two million acre regional complex of wetlands and grasslands toward an ultimate goal of 12 million acres:
Exactly. Public comment is encouraged at these meetings.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to work with private landowners to accelerate the conservation of native prairie, consisting of both wetland and grassland habitats, within the Prairie Pothole Region in the eastern portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. The proposed Dakota Grassland Conservation Area (Dakota Grassland) is part of a landscape-scale, strategic habitat conservation effort to conserve populations of migratory birds by protecting the unique, highly diverse, and endangered ecosystem known as the Prairie Pothole Region. To do this, the Service will develop a Land Protection Plan and associated environmental analysis to describe the proposed action.
Here is Cory's cross-post.
3 comments:
Sounds interesting, but we need that land to generate property taxes. The current "payment in lieu of taxes" isn't keeping pace with the demands of the citizens.
Geez, farmers are already paid not to farm and to finance the subsidies for the agrichemical industries, Thad.
I've added a bunch of links hoping to answer your some of your concerns.
As a grassland program, it would deal with ranchers and ranchers are paid squat.
Instead, with these easements, evertime they want to fix or build a road, have a power line, even build a fence, they will have to pay more than buying land on Manhatten.
They will likely at some point be restricted as to when they can graze or hay. Likely just a short time after the nutrient value of the grass is largely gone.
They will be the proud owner of a government created wasteland that will produce fewer ducks than it does now, screws up species diversity and significantly contributes nitrous oxide emissions thereby being a significant contributor to global warming.
A bad deal for ranchers, environmentalists and wildlife all done at great public and private cost.
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