Under the new Private Stewardship Grant program envisioned by President Bush when he was still Texas governor, the Interior Departments U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced 113 grants totaling more than $9.4 million to individuals and groups to undertake conservation projects on private lands in 43 states for endangered, threatened and other at-risk species.
Individual landowners and conservation groups in Minnesota will receive more than $69,000 in grants to conserve and restore habitat.
President Bush originally proposed the creation of the Private Stewardship Grant program during a speech in Lake Tahoe, Nevada in June 2000. The grants announced today, the first ever awarded under the program, will benefit species ranging from the whooping crane in Nebraska to the bald eagle in the state of Washington. Each grant must be matched by at least 10 percent of the total project cost either in non-federal dollars or in-kind contributions.
Conservation, and especially the conservation of imperiled species, must be a partnership between the American people and their government, said Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton. By making these grants, we are empowering citizens to restore habitat on their land and take other steps to protect and recover endangered, threatened and at-risk species.
Judging from the number of truly innovative grant proposals we reviewed, landowners across the U.S. are eager to work with us to conserve at-risk species, said Service Director Steve Williams. We anticipate this public/private partnership will result in significant conservation achievements for wildlife and wildlife habitat.
The Private Stewardship Grants Program provides federal grants on a competitive basis to individuals and groups engaged in voluntary conservation efforts on private lands that benefit federally listed endangered or threatened species, candidate species or other at-risk species. Under this program, private landowners as well as groups working with private landowners are able to submit proposals directly to the Service for funding to support these efforts. President Bush has requested funding of $10 million for this program in 2004.
Private Stewardship Grants funded in Minnesota are:
Private landowner: Prairie Ecosystem Restoration Project ($35,800)
This project will use local sources of native plant materials to reestablish native plant communities. Additional native species will be added to supplement the restoration. The project will incorporate at-risk species (e.g. prairie bush clover, eared false foxglove) in the plantings and work to restore the habitat for several at-risk species such as the Powesheik, Ottoe, Dakota and Arogos skippers. This project will be conducted on private lands protected under perpetual conservation easements.
The Nature Conservancy Minnesota Chapter: Red Rock Prairie Restoration: Protection and Enhancement of Prairie Bush Clover ($33,548)
This project targets protection and enhancement of prairie bush clover and nine additional species of concern at Red Rock Prairie Reserve. Approximately 268 acres of cropland will be restored to tallgrass prairie.
For a complete list of Private Partnership Stewardship grant awards, please visit:
