South Dakota Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Introduction
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program in South Dakota uses a “grass roots” philosophy to develop partnerships and programs that simultaneously support wildlife conservation and profitable agriculture.
The South Dakota PFW Program has utilized this philosophy to voluntarily restore, enhance, and establish tens of thousands of acres of grassland and wetland habitats with landowners throughout the state. A common thread through every South Dakota PFW project is the ability to be flexible and responsive to accommodate the site-specific needs of landowners. Over the past three decades, this approach has resulted in approximately 8,500 projects with landowners and the number of new partnerships with landowners continues to grow.
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SDPFW biologists are available to meet you on your property to plan, design, share ideas, and coordinate habitat projects.
The three most common conservation practices implemented by the South Dakota PFW Program include:
- WETLAND RESTORATION – Restoration of wetlands primarily consists of closing drainage ditches that were previously excavated to remove surface hydrology from prairie potholes. Newly restored wetlands are quickly colonized by a wide range of waterfowl and shorebirds. It is common to see duck broods on restored wetlands within one year of the restoration work being completed.
- GRASSLAND ENHANCEMENT – Grassland enhancements via managed grazing plans are typically implemented in native rangelands. Site-specific grazing plans are designed to manage the timing, intensity and duration of livestock grazing in a manner that simultaneously benefits rangeland condition, wildlife production, and livestock performance. These goals are typically facilitated by applying additional livestock watering sources and fence.
- GRASSLAND RESTORATION – Restoration of grasslands typically involves seeding cropland back to a diverse mixture of native grasses and forbs. In most cases, 10 to 15 species of native grasses and forbs are used in the seed mix. Typical grass species in the mix include big bluestem and switchgrass. These projects provide immediate benefits to a host of pollinators and grassland birds. Once the grassland is fully restored, these sites are often utilized as pasture.
