0.0 million
Acres of Grasslands
0.0 million
Acres of Wetlands
0 million
Grassland Birds
Stretching across more than 19,000 square miles of north and central Nebraska, the rolling prairies of the Sandhills region provide a glimpse of the vast grasslands that once covered the Great Plains. Beneath North America’s largest remaining grassland is a massive aquifer that feeds lakes, wetlands, and rivers in the valleys between grass-covered dunes,
Since the 1800s, cattle ranching has been the principal land use in the Sandhills. The region’s ranchers have a long tradition of protecting the Sandhills’ grasslands and waters, but have found that they can accomplish even more through partnerships with conservation organizations that offer funding and expertise.
Conservation challenges in the Sandhills include encroachment by eastern red cedars and a loss of wetlands and wet meadow habitat due to drainage, large-scale irrigation, and localized groundwater declines.
RWBJV conservation partners offer resources to combat eastern red cedars and maintain a healthy ecosystem of grasslands and wet meadows through projects that serve the ranching community while benefiting wildlife habitat.
Why It Matters
The Sandhills region’s 11.5 million acres of grasslands and 1.2 million acres of wetlands provide nesting and migration habitat for millions of birds. An estimated 4 million grassland birds, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds, and over a quarter-million waterfowl nest in the Sandhills, as do most of the Great Plains flock of Trumpeter Swans. The same resources that benefit birds and other wildlife are also the foundation of the region’s successful ranching community.
