The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded a four-year, $4 million America the Beautiful grant to support the Playa Lakes Joint Venture partnership in conserving more than 250,000 acres of grassland. The partnership includes the Ranchland Trust of Kansas, Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, Nebraska Land Trust, New Mexico Land Conservancy and Texas Agricultural Land Trust.
The grant will fund the Southern High Plains Grassland Protection, Restoration and Enhancement Project, which will enable the five land trusts to share best practices across the region and permanently protect working grasslands for the benefit of wildlife, people and agricultural lands. The partners will work together to benefit at-risk wildlife, expand habitat connectivity, provide a range of ecosystem services, protect working landscapes and contribute to their local economies. While an ambitious project, its goals are achievable thanks to the combined expertise of the partners, each with their own unique strengths.
To learn more about the objectives of the partnership and the project’s regional focus area, click here.