Meadowlark Initiative

What is the Meadowlark Initiative

• A strategy initiated by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, tapping into the collective insights, resources and efforts of conservation, agriculture and industry partners to enhance, restore and sustain native grasslands in North Dakota.
• A vision to promote and create healthy, thriving grasslands that provide biodiversity and prosperity for wildlife, pollinators, ranching operations and communities by supporting ranching, establishing grasslands, offsetting developmental impacts, promoting societal benefits, and advancing science and education.
  • Healthy, diverse native grasslands make up vital habitat for North Dakota’s state bird, the Western meadowlark, the ambassador for this proactive, comprehensive effort to conserve grasslands in the state.
  • Landowner/Producer Assistance Programs

Why was the Initiative Created

The decline of North Dakota's prairies impacts not only grassland dependent species, but also people, communities, lifestyles, future generations, heritage and quality of life. Water, soil, energy and food are all intertwined in the fate of the prairies. And long-standing trends are raising the alarm about the fate of all those components.

• The Western meadowlark is declining 1.3% per year in North Dakota
• 53% population loss in grassland birds since 1970 (about 720 million birds)
• 72% of the native prairie has been converted to other uses
• The number of U.S. cattle ranches is declining 1% per year
• 1 out of 4 bumble bees are at risk of extinction within 50 years
• 60% of the nearly 5 million wetland acres in North Dakota have been converted or lost