When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) thinks about heroes in the conservation community, private landowners often rise to the top of that list. In fact, private landowners in Montana and Nebraska were recently awarded National Wetlands Conservation Awards, through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (Partners Program), for their conservation efforts in the development, restoration and enhancement of wetlands in their local communities.
The National Runner Up - Group award was given to Ralph and Toone Burchenal, and their ranch managers, at the Two Creek Ranch in Ovando, Montana. They received this award based on four years of diversehabitat restoration work on their ranch. The Burchenals worked with the Partners Program, and other important conservation partners, to enhance and restore 692 acres of prairie potholes, shrub-scrub, fen, and wet meadow wetlands; restore over 7 miles of riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian habitat with a grazing management system; restore connectivity to 15 stream miles, by removing fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.
Learn more about fish passage barriers; and develop an extensive invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species management program. The Ranch also has a 3,700-acre perpetual conservation easement conservation easement
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or qualified conservation organization that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on a property in the future. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms. Easement land remains in private ownership.
Learn more about conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy. (Photos available upon request.)
"The owners and managers of this ranch clearly understand that wildlife and livestock can co-exist. The Two Creek Ranch hosts many wildlife species of concern, such as grizzly bear, bald eagle, bull trout, and black tern," stated Ralph Morgenweck, Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mountain-Prairie Region in Denver.
The Service also awarded a Regional Award to Platte River Basin Environments (PRBE), Inc. They received this award based on 10 years of conservation work on over 3,000 acres of wetlands, and associated uplands, near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. These valuable wetlands support many high priority migratory bird species, such as canvasback, long-billed curlew, and Swainson's hawk. The PRBE, Inc. is a grassroots group of partners involved in land acquisition who also raised more than $3 million in cash and in-kind services to accomplish restoration and enhancement.
