Project Profile: Restore Mixed Grass Prairie Ecosystems Through Leveraged Conservation Actions in Central United States

Badlands Formations and Prairie Grasses Near Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

NPS / Cathy Bell

Inflation Reduction Act
Restoration | FY24 $3,225,000

The National Park Service (NPS) will restore mixed grass prairie in parks in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska through planting native species on lands once used for agriculture. Restoration will include the control of invasive plants, prescribed fire, and the development of new seed sources for plants that are currently scarce in the region. The project will use seed mixtures that include important host plants for pollinators such as the monarch and regal fritillary butterflies.

Why? Native mixed grass prairie in the central United States has largely been converted to agricultural use and other development, leading to region-wide prairie loss estimates of 70-80%. These grasslands provide important habitats for pollinators and other wildlife and play an important role in the global carbon cycle. The NPS will restore mixed grass prairies to protect these essential resources, ensure biodiversity, and to confront impacts from the climate crisis using science and ecological knowledge.

What Else? The parks involved will partner with South Dakota State University to develop new seed sources, non-profit organizations to increase grassland restoration, and local Tribal Nations to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into restoration projects. Additionally, the NPS will collaborate with federal partners and a strong regional conservation community to increase grassland restoration capacity and leverage conservation efforts.

About the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act provides the National Park Service with an historic opportunity to address critical ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs. Projects funded in national parks represent broad-scale and impactful resource investments across every corner of out nation—from Alaska to Florida to Maine.